


Glory and Gore

by Aidant



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Chained up inspired, M/M, Slavery AU, bit of angst, hyuken side pairing, rabin side pairing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-08-27 06:13:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8390332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aidant/pseuds/Aidant
Summary: Hakyeon plans to spend just one week in Cratus- the debaucherous playground of the royals, for his birthday. But he didn’t expect to receive one very curious slave as a present. SteampunkAU/SlaveAU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So welcome to my first Neo and first Vixx fic. It was originally an exo fic that was gathering dust in my computer, but it’s been remodeled for Vixx and it sounds much better than what it was turning out as before. 
> 
> Enjoy~

 

Cratus was both a gigantic machine and a city, an entire megalopolis floating amongst clouds of its own copper steam, the pride of the Emperor who commissioned its creation on the 500th anniversary of WW5 as an insignia of peace. The city blocks, like puzzle pieces stitched together by train tracks and bridges, was powered by the largest aether engine in the entire world. Hakyeon came to Cratus via one of his mother’s personal dirigibles on the day of his 25th birthday, at the request of his paternal cousin.

“Because you’re the only sap in the kingdom that hasn’t been to Cratus.” Wonshik had written in one of his many letters, encouraging him- more like prodding him. Hakyeon knew he was behind in that particular experience but it was fully intended, for reasons he never specified but was sure he didn’t have to because Wonshik could read him well enough already.

Just because Hakyeon’s mother was the Duchess of Zephyros, and the Emperor’s top airship commander, doesn’t automatically predispose Hakyeon to enjoying being 32,000 feet in the air. Hakyeon spent the entire trip to Cratus in his windowless cabin, drinking too much sleeping tonic and fretting over how terribly it wasn’t working as his stomach lurched with every sway of the dirigible’s wings. He could smell Cratus’ permeating smog of rust, oil and general pollution, even before he reluctantly stumbled onto the deck and saw the gleam of metal atop the clouds, a simmering mirage of gold under the dyeing sunlight.

The smog of Cratus was much thicker than the cities on land, it smeared the air a bronze taint, by the time his dirigible docked in the capital’s port it was night fall and terribly cold.

“It’s much warmer further in, it’s because of the altitude, but each district has it’s own furnace and the heat comes off the buildings and flows through underground channels.” Wonshik informs Hakyeon as he had disembarked fretting about the temperature drop while tugging on his gloves.

Hakyeon buttoned up the front of his tan frock coat and tightened the white silk cravat around his neck, busied himself with adjusting his clothes all to keep himself from looking down between the gently swaying boards of the docks. The way they creaked against the tug of the wind, swayed just enough so that he could glimpse the seemingly never-ending fall through the clouds right under his feet, really unnerved him.  

Wonshik chuckles at the green taint to his cousin’s face as he grabs a hold of the railings to help himself off the docks. His crinkled eyes greet Hakyeon and he allows himself to be hugged, “I almost can’t believe you came. Where did you find the courage?”

“In the bottle of champagne Seunghyun sent for you, by the time I came to we were already two miles over the ocean.”

Wonshik’s smile drops and Hakyeon just claps him on the shoulder, “He finally sent that? It was really special champagne I was looking forward to.” He pouted.

“It’s my birthday.” Hakyeon shrugs.

Wonshik rolls his eyes, “I know.” he turns, wrapping his arm around Hakyeon’s shoulders to lead him away from the docks. He quickly signaled to the servants he brought with him and they shuffled passed them to assist Hakyeon’s retinue with his luggage. “I have a lot planned. By the end of the week you’ll never want to leave Cratus.”

Hakyeon seriously doubted that, he was certain that the only thing he would find difficult about leaving this floating hazard by the end of this week would be finding a stronger sleeping tonic. 

“Where’s Joonmyun?” he asked as Wonshik lead him out of the busy port, onto the street where their carriage was parked and waiting. It was a made of lacquered wood and burgundy steel, two horses built of gilded spindles and gears waited at the lead, steam curling lazily out their snouts. The carriage’s attendant opened the door for them and they went in, to Hakyeon’s relief it was already much warmer.

 “He had business, he’ll meet us at the house.”

 

 

 

Hakyeon never bothered dizzying himself trying to understand the web of blood that connected the aristocrats.

Once, when he was no older than eight, his father had instructed Hakyeon’s governess to guide Hakyeon through the ancestry. So she took him to their manor’s library, where Hakyeon was rarely tutored, and, with the help of five servants, unrolled the longest tapestry he had ever seen. It was embroidered with the names of everyone in the long line of nobles that belonged to Hakyeon’s family, even his ancestors who were once merely politicians and wealthy entrepreneurs before the war and the rise of the first Emperor.

First, he learnt his position on the vast family tree, as a young prince by blood, Duke of Zephyros in title, and second cousin of the Emperor. Seunghyun and Joonmyun were the Emperor’s sons and Hakyeon, along with the two of them and a number of other cousins and aunts and uncles, were all candidates for the crown. Whichever one of them the Emperor, and parliament to a lesser extent, saw fit for the role would rule in succession.

That was a thought that frightened Hakyeon through-out most of his childhood, the prospect of being in charge of an entire nation, much more than it did his cousins. Joonmyun and Seunghyun, on the other hand, played with idea as lightly as other children would pretend they were sky-pirates and marshals, Hakyeon caught in between as the royal army, or a horse- whatever prop they could fit him as so he didn’t feel left out.

 But to Hakyeon’s relief he was always left out. Gradually, through the years, Seunghyun and Joonmyun surpassed him. The Princes were often blind to everything but each other as they competed in every way for the favor of their father and the nobles of the parliament. They never noticed as Hakyeon took a place, that felt comfortingly natural to him, at the back.

Still a candidate, though mostly by default, Hakyeon was nowhere as close to the crown as they were, Seunghyun being major general in the royal army. Joonmyun was elected as mayor of Cratus, unheard of at his age, he gained a lot of his votes due to charisma alone.

Joonmyun was very popular on Cratus that was for sure. So, Hakyeon shouldn’t have been surprised by the turn out when he arrived at the party Joonmyun had thrown for him. It was held at the prince’s mansion which was in one of the middle districts of Cratus, a clustered and busy district, though still very much appealing with it’s luxury boutiques, theaters and popular coffee houses. Much less peaceful than the district Wonshik had settled in, which was merely on the outskirts of Joonmyun’s neighborhood.

The ballroom was bursting at the seams with sumptuously dressed people. Hakyeon was pretty certain most of the ones who greeted him and wished him well had never personally met him, but he still smiled and shook hands with all the guests who approached him, Wonshik supplying names and titles in his ear throughout the night.

“Oh, you may know this one, Jaehwan, son of the Marquis of Bacchus. He isn’t someone we associate with, just pretend you don’t see him.” Hakyeon grinned as Wonshik turned the both of them around, making a sharp U-turn towards the food laden table in the center of the room, and pushing the back of Hakyeon’s head down.

Jaehwan still caught up with them, smiling widely while muttering curses, he punched Wonshik on the shoulder a few times before he wrapped his arms around Hakyeon’s back.

“Happy birthday.” Hakyeon feels Jaehwan’s chin on his shoulder, his hat knocks against Hakyeon’s, it’s quite tall, adding another seven inches to Jaehwan’s height and decorated with indigo feathers, ribbon and timepieces that match his three piece suit. Hakyeon looked around for Jaehwan favourite shadow, his slave Hyuk, but he was nowhere near him.

“Where’s Hyuk?”

“He’s about.” Jaehwan waved his hand dismissively then quickly shifted the topic, “How was the trip?”

“It was okay-”

“He puked, three times.” Wonshik interrupted and Hakyeon glared. He didn’t miss the flicker of eyebrows and looks that the two men kept sending each other over his shoulder, he wished they could at least be more subtle.

“Is this about my present?” he asks straight out then grins widely when Wonshik nervously chuckled. Jaehwan gains a little disappointed pout.

“Aren’t you a little too old for presents?” Wonshik teased, though he could tell it’s just an attempt to shift the topic.

Jaehwan nodded towards Joonmyun who was surrounded by eager party guests and too far to hear him, though he still whispered, “I think he got you a steamcycle, one of those monstrous ones that can go as fast as a train.”

Hakyeon’s eyes widened in horror and Jaehwan laughs because the duke is also cringing.

“Don’t worry, I’m getting you something much better.” He winked. Wonshik frowned at him and when Jaehwan sees it he nudges the younger man in his side with his elbow, saying wearily “Don’t even start, I don’t want to hear it.”

“What is it?” Hakyeon asked, but Jaehwan was distracted from replying by the sudden appearance of his slave.

Hyuk bowed and Hakyeon smiled warmly at the young man who he hasn’t seen in what seems like ages- it’s been a while since Jaehwan had touched land and visited him. The slave was much simpler dressed than everyone else in the ballroom, though still matching Jaehwan’s outfit in most aspects. But this just drew the eyes to the heavily jeweled collar he wore around his neck and the two shackle-like bracelets around his wrists, both of which were embedded with gems the same shade of indigo as Jaehwan’s clothing.

“Hyuk looks beautiful tonight.” Wonshik says and Hakyeon nods in approval which distracts the slave for the moment. He smiles, reminding Hakyeon of the young boy Jaehwan had introduced him to years ago- though now much taller and handsome.

“Hey! What about me?” Jaehwan elbows Wonshik’s side for his attention, “He’s the accessory, I’m the show.”

Hakyeon laughs at the way Hyuk’s smile falls as he glances shrewdly at his master, Jaehwan gestures to himself delicately like he was showing off a shiny new airship, Wonshik just shakes his head at the two.

“Stop it, you’re embarrassing everyone.” Hyuk stopped Jaehwan’s spinning with a hand on his shoulder then leaned in and whispered something into his ear. Something that makes the Marquis smile mischievously at Hakyeon.

“Okay, go get Joonmyun and tell him to meet us in the back.” He tells his slave and Hyuk nods at the order then goes off, disappearing in the crowd and leaving Hakyeon confused. Jaehwan turns to him. “Ready to ditch this party?”

“Ditch the party? Why are you encouraging the birthday boy to abandon his own event? What kind of mischief of do you gentlemen have planned here?” Heeyeon said teasingly as she approached them and Hakyeon’s eyes widen a bit at how beautiful Jaehwan’s wife looked tonight. She wore a white lace corset over a pure white long sleeved blouse, her damask bustle skirt showed thigh-high stockings paired with laced and frilled boots, on her head of green hair sat a white and black riding hat adorned with crushed velvet ribbon and a cameo at the center. Hakyeon politely compliments her as he bows and kisses her gloved hand.

“Really though, dear, are you really leaving? Right now?” Heeyeon asks after the greetings and how do you do’s are done. She turns to her husband and her voice had a gentle but persistent prodding to it that made Hakyeon and Wonshik want to look away from them. Especially when Jaehwan supplied her with a smile that was a bit more forced than his usually gracious grins, they knew Jaehwan well enough to pick up on his tighter body language.

“Yes, we have business to see about. It really doesn’t matter, just extra, more personal, festivities for the birthday boy” Jaehwan smiled fondly when he glanced at Hakyeon, “You don’t need to worry, just enjoy the party.” He finished, leaning in to press a kiss onto Heeyeon’s cheek before quickly turning around to rally the rest of them away.

Hyuk returned at this time, coming to his master’s side. Hakyeon was telling Heeyeon goodbye, promising to spend time with her this week as they hadn’t seen each other since her wedding. He was certain she was very distracted though, her face stiff as she watched her husband’s hand wrap instinctively around the slave’s waist as Jaehwan lead the way out of the ballroom. 

 

 

 

 

To Hakyeon’s surprise, Jaehwan has his motor-vehicle parked in the back courtyard. It’s a long, extravagant looking thing with the voluptuous lines of it’s pure platinum body, it’s just very much something Jaehwan would splurge on. He even had the audacity to blush when Joonmyun whistled as they approached the machine.

“Ah, evidence, if there ever was lack of any, that the House of Bacchus shames the pitiful wealth of the Crown in comparison.” Joonmyun pretended to lament and got shoved from behind by Jaehwan for it. Wonshik and Hakyeon laughing behind them, and Hyuk following quietly, looking amused. The prince waved off the slave who had been standing beside the car, opening the door himself and beckoning Hakyeon in first, then they all climb in. Jaehwan was last and he leaned his head out the door to tell his slave where to take them.

“The Jade House?” Hakyeon asks looking around at everyone. Jaehwan closed the door behind him, a smile immediately on as he nodded, “What’s that?”

“A slave house.” Wonshik drops the words dryly, he gives Jaehwan a pointed look, one that is a bit disapproving but not as heated as it could be- probably due to the champagne they all had at the party.

“Shhhh!” Jaehwan leaned over Hyuk’s lap to slap Wonshik’s arm, “Don’t ruin the surprise!”

“It’s already ruined.” Hakyeon tells him, “Why are we going there?”

“To have some fun.” Joonmyun answered simply, Hakyeon couldn’t see the fun in a slave house though. They were institutes that trained and sold slaves to nobles, popular amongst the wealthier aristocrats who wanted something a little more sophisticated than the common bartered slave that went for almost nothing at public auctions.

“The Jade isn’t _just_ slave house.” Jaehwan corrected him lightly with a mysterious smile which implied to Hakyeon all the other details- details his imagination worked hard to supply.

“It’s a _Cratus_ slave house.” Joonmyun added and Hakyeon tried not roll his eyes at him, unlike Jaehwan and Wonshik who both laughed out and commenced in imitating the prince and poking at Joonmyun’s pride for the rest of the ride, to Hakyeon’s entertainment.

 

 

 

Hakyeon scarcely remembers how it came to this, submerged in a blur of alcohol and sweet incense. Swaying in a dimly lit room encircled by drunken music, echoing like eternal chants, and the beautiful half naked slaves dancing with their spellbinding eyes and dark, molasses skin.

When his mind reemerged out of the alcohol induced spell, or at least he regained some sort of awareness, Joonmyun and Jaehwan were pulling him away from the room. Hakyeon awoke to the feel of silk brushing against his face and when he opened his eyes he saw that they were running through the drapes which hung from the ceiling of the room. They were a deep, drunken purple, which somehow matched the whiny and hypnotizing mantra of the wind pipes the slaves were playing in the quickly receding background.

“Bu-but Wonshik.” He says, giggling when Joonmyun’s leg gets tangled in a drape for a moment long enough to bring him quickly to his knees. Hakyeon tries to help him up but Jaehwan is still tugging on his arm so he just leaves his hand out for Joonmyun to catch up to himself.

“Forget him! He’s such a killjoy, going on and on about pointless things, he takes this slave thing too seriously.” Jaehwan slurs.

“We’ll get him after.” Joonmyun assures, he pushes Hakyeon from behind and the duke doesn’t understand why he has to be carried like this, not until they stop in a much more quiet room after maneuvering through the hallways of The Jade House. When Jaehwan lets him go and Joonmyun moves away from him, the world does a spectacular gymnastics demonstration and Hakyeon finds himself on the floor.

The other two help him up, though not without a good bit of laughing. The fall seemed to have sobered Hakyeon up some, he took in his surroundings much better as he slid into one of the three armchairs in the room. This was a gallery it seemed, artwork, from landscapes to peculiar masks, hung on the walls.

Jaehwan is suddenly excited, leaning over the back of his chair and wrapping his arms around Hakyeon’s shoulders. Joonmyun takes a seat in the armchair beside him and the prince would look deceptively clear-headed if it weren’t for his ruffled state and the permanent flush of his usually pale skin.

The door to the room opens and a long line of slaves come in, chain-less shackles on their wrists and necks that were nowhere near as lavish as Hyuk’s, these slaves weren’t owned by anyone. They all wore the same uniform of a white cotton tunic and pants, even the women. Hakyeon watched as the procession seemed to go on and on and he was beginning to realize why he was here and what Joonmyun and Jaehwan were all so excited about.

Blushing a little, Hakyeon pushed Jaehwan off, “You! What were you thinking?!”

Hakyeon had never owned a slave before, the ones that had taken care of him all his life, like those he brought to Cratus as his retinue, all ever belonged to his parents. Besides, they were all common house slaves, bartered for on the streets for next to nothing and then trained in his house by the other slaves who taught them how to serve his family properly. They were paid and most of them shackle-less, so unofficially they were more like servants than slaves.

The slaves from Houses were taught from birth to be humble and unquestioningly devoted to their master. Hakyeon’s mother had always found it frivolous to purchase them- a showy act for those nobles that have nothing better to do with their money. She couldn’t see the appeal.

But Hakyeon had always noticed the difference. None of the slaves in his house were as elegant as Hyuk, who’s life seemed to revolve around Jaehwan like he was his sun. No matter what happened around him, or wherever his irritatingly energetic master ran off to, Hyuk’s eyes were always on Jaehwan. It may be just a part of his training but the effort never seemed to tire him.

Joonmyun had Chen who was probably just as talented and intelligent as he was- if not secretly more so. Hakyeon believes that if Joonmyun allowed it Chen could run Cratus just as efficiently without the nobles and citizens ever knowing the difference.

Joonmyun watches, a little amused, as Hakyeon and Jaehwan begin to bicker. All the slaves were in the room now and the hostess was waiting patiently for them to begin. Hakyeon tried to dissuade Jaehwan but the marquis already had his mind made up.

“Oh for goodness sake!” Joonmyun cut in suddenly and both men looked up at him, “I’ll split the bill with Jaehwan so just pick one!”

Joonmyun took Hakyeon’s wrist and tugged him towards the slaves. They all stood in the same position, like a line of sculptures in this gallery. Each face was the same to Hakyeon, the same neutral stamp: empty eyes looking down in respect and mouths so slacken not a glimmer of emotion could be imagined there.

“This one is beautiful.” Joonmyun stops before a female slave, her hair was wavy and long, she was tiny in a rather cute way with her round eyes and long eye lashes.

“She is very maternal, cuisine and home care are her specialty. She also has a well-proportioned body. Would you like to see?” the hostess offered, approaching the slave who had already begun to unbutton her tunic.

“No, no.” Hakyeon flushed, to his embarrassment- and Joonmyun and Jaehwan’s entertainment. He put his hand up and the slave stopped immediately. “I can choose on my own.” Hakyeon said as if to no one in particular though it was aimed at his cousin and his childhood friend.

Trying to ignore the attention on him Hakyeon made his way down the line, his eyes couldn’t seem to stay on any of the slaves long enough, he wasn’t sure what he was looking for either. He had never thought about what he would want in a slave. Hyuk is handsome and strong. He wasn’t at first, Jaehwan had taken him in because he thought he was cute and during the first few years of their companionship he had treated the boy like his personal living doll. Even now, Hakyeon doesn’t think Hyuk has any specific responsibilities besides keeping Jaehwan company at all times. Chen, on the other hand, was always hard at work as Joonmyun’s personal steward. His other cousin, Prince Seunghyun, had a slave who acted as his bodyguard. Hakyeon wasn’t sure if he cared for any of these things- he wasn’t a workaholic and he didn’t need stringent 24/7 protection…..but would he mind the company?  

Before he noticed, because he was so deep in thought- and admittedly still very drunk, he had reached the end of the line of slaves. Hakyeon off-handedly wondered if there was a system to this line-up as he observed that the slaves before him looked a bit older (considering the others were mostly just at the end of their teen years). They weren’t delicate little things like the others. These slaves were broad-shouldered and muscled, even the women, and if Hakyeon squinted he could even see scars marking pale lines into the skin of a few of them.

He doesn’t really know why he stops before the one with the darkest hair, who’s shoulders are more slumped than the others- the other slaves stand with their head tilted downward as they were purposely trained to, while this one seemed just not to care enough to stand straight. Instead of eyes downcast in respectful avoidance, this one’s eyes seemed preoccupied. With what Hakyeon couldn’t fathom because the floor, though richly carpeted, could never be that interesting.

“Hey.” Hakyeon tapped the slave’s forehead with his finger and instead of jumping out of his trance like he expected him to the slave merely slid his gaze up to Hakyeon’s face then blinked slowly at what he saw. Which was a suddenly very uncertain Duke of Zephyros, because Hakyeon didn’t expect to be raked over with such an intense and challenging gaze. He couldn’t help it, he looked away.

“Is everything ok, your Highness?” the hostess suddenly appears at his side and Hakyeon is further ashamed that he jumps a little because of her.

“Uh- yes,” he shakes his head a bit, regaining the composure he’s been trained since childhood to feign. “Please, tell me about this one.”

She glanced up at the slave who was still staring, though less intensely now and more shuttered, at Hakyeon. The hostess smiled back at the Duke but Hakyeon could see that it didn’t reach her eyes as she said, “His name is Leo, he is trained more as a guardian than anything else, his specialties are in offensive and defensive combat, but he was also trained generally for any type of lifestyle his master prefers for him. But I must politely dissuade you, your Highness. As you can see,” she offhanded gestured to the slave’s face, where when Hakyeon looked he could see the beginning of those thin scares webbing from the back of his neck, “We have had some _issues_ with this one, he’s been returned a number of times.”

“What about this one Yeonie? He’s much cuter. Is he trained in combat as well?” Jaehwan lifted the slave he was referring to face up by his chin and grinned at what he saw, muttering about how pretty he was. And he was right, but Hakyeon just frowned, if the slaves looked all the same to him before it was even more prominent how they all felt cold to him now. Colder than Leo’s eyes, which he thinks aren’t cold at all actually but quietly smoldering.

 Hakyeon looks right up, right into those eyes, allowed himself to be inspected and judged, until he couldn’t help but smile at Leo. Cocking his head to the side a little as he wondered exactly how drunk was he to be grinning like this at someone who obviously disliked him. Maybe if he were sober he would be intimidated by Leo, right now he just found him interesting.  

Joonmyun approached and surveyed Leo closely, displeasure becoming more evident by the moment on his face, “He looks scary.” He says both casually and resolutely.

Leo’s posture twitched, Hakyeon seemed to be the only one who noticed it, the way the slave’s face moved without really moving at all, like there was another expression forming under his skin. After making his opinion known Joonmyun quickly moved on and he and Jaehwan went along the line, giving Hakyeon their unwanted suggestions. Even if Hakyeon doesn’t remember everything they said or the rest of the night he does know that it was at that moment he lucidly made the decision to take Leo back with him.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Spending most of his childhood obsessed with old books written about the components of aether, making Hakyeon help him build homemade analytical engines using kettles and left over plumbing, and replacing his father’s stables with steam powered horses by the time he was twelve. Wonshik’s apartment, back at Hakyeon’s aunt and uncle’s manor on land, was always a mess of miscellaneous parts, odd sketches hanging from every space on paper that was blanched in sunlight, scarcely alive inventions lied everywhere waiting to be finished.

After he moved to Cratus Wonshik seemed to find a more specific goal and funneled all his efforts there, he wanted to engineer metal slaves that would replace the human ones in every home on the planet- that’s what Wonshik wrote to Hakyeon about, every week. Hakyeon was eager to see how well he was doing so he politely declined Joonmyun’s invitation to stay at his home, though Joonmyun looked a little upset when Hakyeon implied that the prince may not have the time to spend with Hakyeon anyway. He looked ready to deny it, but didn’t push too hard because it might have been a little true. Wonshik already had all of Hakyeon’s luggage at his villa anyway.

It was there that Hakyeon woke up the afternoon after his birthday. With a migraine, and a tall slave ,with a huge silver bow of velvet ribbon tied around his neck, sitting on the floor at the foot of Hakyeon’s bed. He paused as he climbed off and stared at Leo for at least half a minute before it all comes back to him- well, most of it at least. The slave just stares back blandly, he was sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest, he still wore the plain tunic and ugly steel shackles from the Jade House.

No longer having enough alcohol in his system to blunt the awkwardness of the strange slave’s cold demeanor, Hakyeon found that he was suddenly very self-conscious and uncertain. A new feeling for him, he had never been this aware of a servant’s presence or stare before.

“Um, c-can you go get me a robe.” He commanded as he tugged at his opened blouse, he must have thrown his coat off somewhere, and his trousers. In fact, it appeared that last night he had tried to undress himself before dropping into bed and had given up on the task halfway. Hakyeon flushed as he realized that Leo had very likely been a witness to that.

The slave wasn’t moving though. With no intension to obey Hakyeon he turned away and stared at the ground again.

Hakyeon frowned, “Hey, I gave you an order.” He poked at Leo’s shoulder when he didn’t react, the slave looked up at him and, to Hakyeon’s surprise, he could have sworn he saw something like a warning in those eyes. Raising his eyebrows up, Hakyeon pulled his hand back and leaned away like he was in the presence of a very mean tempered wolfhound.

“I think I see why you’ve often been returned.” He muttered, flinching when there was a short trio of knocks on his door before it was opened and one of the servants from his retinue entered.

“Your Highness, you’re awake.” The older woman assessed, her eyes briefly flicking towards the newcomer on the floor, before she went to get Hakyeon a robe. She informs him that Hakyeon was being waited on downstairs as she helps him dress in a fresh blouse and trousers, an emerald three button, double-breasted silk vest, and black leather, buckled knee high boots. 

He knows Leo stares the entire time, he catches glimpses of the slave in the mirror before him. Before he leaves Hakyeon takes the chance, stopping at the door and saying as gently and patiently as he could manage, “Come on Leo.” When the slave just blinks at him Hakyeon sighs, “Please? Don’t you want to eat?”

It’s possible that he just imagined the shift in Leo’s expression, because he really looks no different, the only thing that changes is that Leo actually gets up and follows Hakyeon out of the room. 

Downstairs, in the dining room, Hakyeon found Wonshik waiting at the table with a late lunch spread before him. He was reading the papers and though he was neatly dressed in a black vest and trousers, gold rimmed spectacles on his nose, Hakyeon could see that his eyes were as red and heavy as his. A maid was pouring some type of tonic, probably for pain or a sobering potion, into his steaming cup of coffee.  Hakyeon patted his cousin on the shoulder, adjusting his collar even though it didn’t need it, as he passed and took a seat opposite.

“What’s his name?” Wonshik tipped the top of his newspaper over to look at Hakyeon and it took the other man a moment to realize he was referring to the slave. Leo- who Hakyeon wasn’t expecting to find sitting on the floor right beside his knees.

 _Right_ , he thinks, he’s seen Hyuk and other slaves sit the same way besides their masters. For a moment he imagines Leo resting his head on Hakyeon’s knee, allowing him to run his fingers lazily through that dark, soft looking, hair, the way he has seen Jaehwan do to Hyuk. He almost chuckles at the mental image- _as if I want my hand bitten off._

“Leo. Fits him doesn’t it?”

“Hn.” Wonshik nodded, then he spoke to the slave, “Leo, please sit at the table, in my house we don’t sit on the floor.” Hakyeon could hear the implied ‘ _not even slaves_ ’ without Wonshik voicing it.

Leo stared at Wonshik for a couple of seconds before he glanced at Hakyeon, for his master’s permission or to gauge Hakyeon’s reaction. Whatever reason, Hakyeon immediately nodded his approval. He leaned over and tapped the chair beside him invitingly.

Slowly Leo got up and sat on the chair, looking around at the two men staring at him before his eyes fell to his empty plate. Hakyeon smiles because he thinks Leo is being shy- though, again, he could be imagining it, the slave was so hard to read Hakyeon had to rely on intuition more than anything else. 

That settled, Hakyeon nodded at the maid who had been standing, politely waiting, near the table. She approach him for his plate and begun serving while Hakyeon chatted with Wonshik about last night. Two minutes into eating Hakyeon realized that Leo’s plate was still empty and he showed no sign of changing that, as he still sat staring at it.

“Leo?” Hakyeon said, Wonshik looked over his newspaper again, observing the two. Hakyeon sighed, he got up and took Leo’s plate. When the maid approached Hakyeon waved her off, he served Leo himself, filling his plate with pheasant, vegetables, roasted potatoes and apple compote. Wonshik watched closely at the way the slave watched Hakyeon do this, eyes just slightly wider than usual, his mouth not as tightly shut, maybe even trembling. Leo stares down at the full plate Hakyeon rests before him, the duke took Leo’s hand and curled his fingers around the fork for him before he returned to his seat.

Wonshik raised his newspaper to hide the small smile on his lips.

 “I’ll take you to see my atrium when we’re finished.” Wonshik tells Hakyeon, distracting the duke who was still fussing over his slave, trying to get Leo to place a napkin over his lap.

“Is that where you keep your inventions?” Hakyeon gave up and began eating.

“Some, the ones I sell at the _Arcade_ I keep in the workshop downtown, but I hire engineers to work on those. These are different. I really want you to see them.”

Hakyeon kept glancing at Leo throughout lunch, he couldn’t help it- it was the giant silver velvet bow around the slave’s neck. As intent as the slave was in eating, and Hakyeon could tell he really was enjoying the food, the ribbon kept getting in the way causing Leo to flick it out of his face every so often. Leo acted so stubbornly all of the time, refusing to take Hakyeon’s orders, but he was probably waiting for Hakyeon to remove the bow himself- so, of course, Hakyeon decided he would leave it on as long as possible for now. For his own amusement.

After lunch Wonshik led them to his atrium which was at the heart of his villa, a large circular space without walls, where rusty sunlight poured down three floors from the arching glass roof and onto Wonshik’s surprisingly uncluttered work space.

“I see you finally learnt how to use a filing cabinet.” Teased Hakyeon about the uncharacteristic lack of littered drafts and random tools. The large table at the center was stacked neatly with papers and books, so were his glass book cases. There were models hung on the sides, human-like body parts made of metal and clock work, spindles and chains, sat on glass pedestals.

“Not exactly. I can’t make messes as fast as Xiumin could clean them.” Wonshik grins slyly as he plops himself into the stool at his desk. He ignores Hakyeon’s questioning expression, “Come here, I have something to show you.”

Leo seemed to be refusing to enter the atrium, he stood at the staircase all the way to the other side watching them closing, and Hakyeon was too interested in what Wonshik wanted him to see to pester the slave.

When Hakyeon stood beside him Wonshik pulled the cloth he had swathed over the object on his desk so that Hakyeon could see that it was an arm, held up by a stand. Hakyeon had never before seen such delicate and tiny mechanics- the gold spindles and the copper gears and bolts were weaved together almost as intricately as fabric. Hakyeon watched, wide eyed, as his cousin placed two of his fingers in the palm of the hand and, like a baby automatically grasping at a stimulus, the fingers closed around Wonshik’s. The movement causing an amazing display in the mechanics of the arm as all the gears and other parts shifted to make it happen.

“It moved perfectly, like real muscle.” Hakyeon gasped, reluctantly recalling his human biology lessons back at the academy he had attended in his teens. A gory and entirely to ‘real’ of a subject if you asked him. He only took the course because Wonshik was very interested in the topic- obviously it had paid off for him. 

“H-how?” Both Hakyeon and Wonshik looked over their shoulders at the baffling sound of a voice they had never heard before. Wonshik smiling and Hakyeon eyes widening as they saw Leo standing right behind them.

Under their stares the slave’s eyes diverted to the side then to the floor, Hakyeon tried to hold in his comments on the unexpected sweetness of Leo’s voice- comments that all seemed a bit too affectionate to him.

“I _can_ speak you know.” Leo said softly, a bit petulantly.

Hakyeon smiled, and he knows it’s definitely affectionate, he can’t seem to help it, “Of course. We’re just a little surprised, that’s all.”

“Leo, see that sheet over there?” Wonshik pointed to the left of the atrium and Leo did a scarcely identifiable nod, “Pull it off.”

The slave did as he was told- to Hakyeon’s astonishment- he pouted as he watched Leo pull the sheet away then quickly step back, dropping the sheet to the floor. He had apparently uncovered a metal man, constructed similarly to the way the arm on Wonshik’s table, though Hakyeon could see differences. This ‘metal man’ was made of more common mechanics, like the larger, clumpier ones seen in horses and some motor-vehicles. Advanced technology for those machines but compared to the arm these mechanics really paled.

“Xiumin, wake up.” Wonshik said with a bit of a command to his voice and the machine opened what should be eyelids revealing two glossy obsidian bulbs, at the center of both held a dim spot of gold light. The machine blinked lazily at Leo, steam hissing out of small vents in its elbows and the back of its shoulders, and Leo curiously studied it right back. Hakyeon thought that the slave was definitely fearless, personally he wouldn’t want to stand that close to that thing because he had never seen anything like it before.

“Is that the-” he began.

“‘Steam-bot’.” Wonshik supplied smiling. Hakyeon clapped him on the back.

“I didn’t know you finally completed one.”

The machine moved, stepping off of his stand, its movements clumsy and stiff, nothing like the fluid movement of the hand on Wonshik’s desk. Leo stepped back, making room for the steam-bot, as it made a right turn towards Wonshik with the sound of squeaking metal and hissing steam.

“This one is Xiumin, he is the first prototype.”Wonshik tells him, he steps closer to Xiumin and Hakyeon follows, noticing that Leo had moved to stand at his side. The slave had angled his body just between Hakyeon and the steam-bot and  Hakyeon wondered if that was coincidence or not as he recalled the hostess saying Leo was trained as a guardian. “Movement, of course, if kinda clunky, but it’s his ‘brain’ that was the most difficult thing to get right. Eventually I worked it out and I made the body using left over parts from the horses and some modified pieces. He could clean, understand simple commands and if you lay everything out for him he could cook a meal.”

“Have you shown Joonmyun?” Hakyeon inquired as he hesitantly leaned in to touch Xiumin’s stomach, the steam-bot watching his hand move up to ghost over the turning clockwork in his chest which hummed and clicked as it generated a soft heat.

Scoffing Wonshik shook his head, “I’ve tried to, but when he learns what the meeting is about something always comes up. You’d think he, of all people, would give me a chance.”

Hakyeon turns to his cousin, naturally grasping his arm in the type of comforting way Wonshik has always found irritating, he doesn’t brush him off though and it’s probably because of all the time they had spent apart. Hakyeon takes advantage of that of course.

“He cancels on everyone though, even his own father and Seunghyun sometimes.”Hakyeon pleaded Joonmyun’s case knowing what his cousin was like, especially when it came to work, but Wonshik’s smile was wary.

“Do you know where all these slaves come from Hakyeon?”

There was a small crash behind them, Leo who had moved on to quietly explore the atrium while they were talking, and now he had accidentally knocked over some books which sequentially knocked over a stand with losoe metal parts. Xiumin suddenly came to life and moved towards the slave to help with the new mess.

Reluctantly, Hakyeon admitted to not knowing exactly how the Houses and traders got their stock, he had never pondered it, never saw the need to ask. The mansions and streets were just always filled with their convenience weren’t they?

“Growing up, as we did, it’s so easy to be bubbled in our world. You’re born, you grow up, you live and then die knowing only what you know and never be discontent with it because life has always been somewhat easy for us.”

“I’m not ignorant, Wonshik.” Hakyeon felt a bit affronted, “you live up here surrounded by all this opulence, but I’ve always ever been on land and I may never experience it myself, but I’ve seen what it’s like to be less than fortunate.”

“How much have you seen? The poor that occupy the streets of your cities are depressing, but they are _free_.  Beyond that, outside the walls of the metropolis, there is a different kind of poverty that I’m sure you’ve never seen and won’t be able to imagine. Acres of inhospitable nothingness burdened with people who have absolutely nothing, their only grace is to be selectively picked, then rounded up by people like the Lee’s and sold off to aristocrats.”

“Lee?” Hakyeon thought the name sounded familiar.

“They are Merchants, they supply a quarter of the nation and all of Cratus with slaves. They make a living off of ripping children out of their mother’s arms for ‘training’, then they sell them to us.”

Wonshik paused when he saw the disturbed  looked on Hakyeon’s face, the way the other man’s shoulders slumped just a bit as he watched Leo finishing up cleaning the mess on the floor alongside Xiumin.

“I’m sorry.” Wonshik sighed, raking a hand through his hair as he shook his head, he chuckled, “I could get really worked up about this stuff, I guess that’s why Joonmyun avoids me.”

Hakyeon just nodded but he wanted to say he understood, he couldn’t hate Wonshik for what he said, it was justified how he felt.

“Also, the Lee’s heard about my inventions and got a law passed against humanoid machinery, they’ll do anything to hold back ‘threats to the industry’. I don’t see how Xiumin could brittle the slave industry, it’s centuries old and it’s all the people know. It would take centuries more to stop it, and it’s not even slavery that’s the real problem, it’s poverty. I just wish some people would treat them better, treat them like humans.”

“Four years on Cratus and you’re a revolutionist, engineering illegal machinery in your basement.” Hakyeon teased, his mouth curling smugly as Wonshik’s cheeks flushed.

“We’ve all changed, Jaehwan’s become some type of super-socialite and Joonmyun’s a workaholic.”

“I’m definitely not staying here then, if I don’t join Jaehwan and Joonmyun I’ll be swept up in the coup d'état your steam-bots are going to lead against the nation.” He motioned to Xiumin and Wonshik laughed.

“Yes, what an army!”

 “Ah, forget about that though,” Wonshik suddenly says, his smile finally reaching his eyes now, “Let me show you what Xiumin can do.”

 

 

 

That night Hakyeon prepared for bed in the dressing room and when he came out he found Leo sitting, in the same position and spot he found him in that morning, at the foot of his bed. The slave hadn’t spoken a word the rest of the day, but was like a distant shadow following Hakyeon and Wonshik through the villa as they messed around with Xiumin, caught up and eventually had diner that evening. Leo was always watching, and in one day Hakyeon came to the realize that he didn’t mind.

He remembered something as he stood there studying the quiet man, “Leo, come here.” He said automatically, forgetting for a moment what the reality was when it came to this slave- so used, as he was, to servants coming to _him_ , or jumping into movement at his beck and call. And, as expected, Leo didn’t budge, he completely ignored Hakyeon.

With a sigh, Hakyeon came to him, leaning over the slave, muttering about Leo being ‘bad’ and that Hakyeon should try being stricter with him. Leo looked up and studied Hakyeon’s face, void of any expression of his own, as the duke untied the ribbon from his neck. Hakyeon immediately regretted leaving it on all day when he saw the red line the fabric had made on Leo’s skin, and he rubbed the warm spot a bit with his cooler fingers.

“Better?” he asked, glancing into Leo’s unreadable eyes, not expecting any answer.

But Leo nodded, “Yes.” he said with that fragile voice while looking straight into his eyes and Hakyeon pulled away then because his chest had fluttered, the pleasant prickling feeling of it really surprising him.

Blinking it away he moved towards the small wooden bed Wonshik had ordered placed in his room, so that Leo wouldn’t sleep on the floor. Hakyeon hadn’t known this but apparently it was what they were trained to do.

He tapped on the soft sheets with his hand- they were his own sheets brought from home, made from an exotic species of cotton, and while he had watched his servants make the bed Hakyeon realized he could really see himself enjoying spoiling Leo- Jaehwan definitely got him there.

“Would you please sleep here Leo?” he decided asking instead of commanding was the best technique he could approach this with. “It’s much more comfortable, and I would really like it.”

Leo looked between him and the bed for a couple moments before he got up. He didn’t lie down immediately, just nodded his head. Hakyeon smiled, relieved that it hadn’t turned into a problem like he had expected. He patted Leo on his shoulder as he walked passed him to his own bed, where he got comfortable under the covers, smiling one more time at the slave before turning off the lamp on his bedside table.

There was rustling after, as Leo got into his own bed, and then silence.

“Good night Leo, we have a busy day tomorrow so sleep well.” Hakyeon said and he could have imagined he heard the softest replying grunt from the other side of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, here comes Wonshik with a taste of the darker side of slavery in this world. Hope it wasn't too depressing?
> 
> Thanks to those who left kudos and comments. It will be updated soon.


	3. Chapter III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but here's a long chapter. 
> 
> Thanks everyone who commented and left kudos (i really appreciate it), please don't hesitate to share your thoughts.

 

Hakyeon had to admit that Cratus’ streets were immaculate, which meant that they were nothing like those of the cities on land. On Cratus all the roads were evenly cobbled and they were filled with the latest motor-vehicles and shiny gilded carriages. The citizens were dressed in the best of fashions tended by slaves dripping in finery almost as grand as their masters as they held parasols and shopping bags.

As he was driven through the city to meet Jaehwan he didn’t see not one slum or depraved street bordered by dilapidated buildings, no stray children wandering like ghosts in dirty clothes, outstretched hands reflected on his window.

“They don’t let them in.” Wonshik had told him that morning before he left, “The charge to be flown up to Cratus is too high for anyone but nobles anyway, the taxes up here are ridiculous, even for us actually, but no one complains. As long as Cratus stays how they like it- ‘ _clean’_.”

“It’s because of Zelos,” Hakyeon had proposed, Zelos was what they called the gigantic aether engine that powered Cratus. Zelos kept city warm and buzzing, and most importantly kept it in the air. It was a technological wonder- the way it kept an entire nation air born for all these decades without stop, “The maintenance cost must be terrible.”

Wonshik snorts over his morning coffee, “Sure.”

Leo had been reluctant to get into the motor-vehicle Jaehwan had sent for Hakyeon that morning. Or maybe ‘reluctant’ was too gentle of a way to put it. Hakyeon had tried practically everything: food, threats of leaving him behind, he had even (kind of) begged, which he had no doubt was very entertaining for his and Wonshik’s servants to watch.

Eventually, after spending an entire half hour sitting stubbornly in the parked vehicle while his slave stood, just as stubbornly, outside, glaring at Hakyeon through the tainted window. Hakyeon resolutely stepped out and grasp Leo’s hand, then pulled him towards the vehicle, deciding that even if it wasn’t gentlemanly he would wrestle Leo into submission if he had to.

His slave was still glaring but he didn’t resist as much as Hakyeon expected and allowed himself to be pushed in, the door closing behind him, and Hakyeon swore he heard the muffled sound of applause coming from the servants who were watching at the main doorway.

Leo didn’t sit on the cushioned, leather seat beside Hakyeon, instead he crouched with his back against it, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. When the driver started the engine and the machine moved Hakyeon observed the way his slave’s entire body tensed, Leo squeezed his eyes shut then hid his face behind his arms as he curled in on himself even tighter.

Hakyeon frowned, his hand automatically moving to pat Leo’s head, to comfort him. “Leo, is this your first time in a vehicle?” he asked because it had just dawned on him. He was so preoccupied with getting Leo to comply, he just supposed that the slave was being stubborn merely for the sake of it.

He could understand why Leo would be afraid though, vehicles were much faster and louder than carriages, Hakyeon himself enjoyed the smooth ride much more than he did the unnatural speed of the machine. It was a matter of preference he guessed as his mother, like Jaehwan, was the more daring sort, she enjoyed collecting and driving them. Hakyeon thinks he was scarred for most of his childhood after that first time she took him on a ride in her vehicle when he was seven, he vividly recalls fainting in the backseat. 

Getting no reply to his question, Hakyeon shifted to sit closer to Leo, pulling his slave’s arm until he was leaning against Hakyeon’s leg, then he combed his fingers through the hair that he knew would have been as soft as it looked. It seemed that the only positive side to this was that Leo was obviously too scared to tear Hakyeon’s arm off for touching him.

“What was that?” Hakyeon said when a few minutes later he heard his slave mutter something.

“Not- the first time.” Leo said after he lifted his head just enough to allow Hakyeon to pick up on the soft words. Hakyeon’s eyes automatically fell to the scars on the back of Leo’s neck, his mind imagining the masters Leo must have briefly had before, the times he was retuned and probably punished for it.

“Ha.” He sighed as he rubbed Leo’s shoulder, shaking him a little, “Don’t worry, I’m not a fan of them either, so I’ll get a carriage to take us back at the end of the day.” Leo doesn’t reply or say another word after that, but he doesn’t lean away from Hakyeon either, in fact his weight against Hakyeon’s leg seemed to increase.

 Jaehwan meets them inside the _Arcade_ , it’s a building Hakyeon had only heard of before, seen the architectural plans of it when it was just a dream in Jaehwan’s creative and ambitious mind, then later black and white pictures of it in the newspapers when it was opened some years ago. Seeing it with his own eyes now it was indeed splendid, a large dome made of arches and iridescent glass, twisted into the shape of a coiled seashell. Inside housed hundreds of businesses and stores.

As expected, accompanying Jaehwan was Hyuk. Jaehwan had him clad in pale trousers and a coral pink blouse with long trumpets sleeves layered with lace, Hakyeon could see fine pearls sworn into the material, his collar was white gold today. Jaehwan’s casual suit and top hat was a similar color and Hakyeon decided then that no matter how much he may enjoy spoiling Leo they won’t be matching their clothing anytime soon.

Jaehwan’s eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw Leo behind Hakyeon which made Hakyeon look back at his slave himself.

“He’s still wearing the same tunic!” Jaehwan scolded Hakyeon like it was his fault, which it was but it wasn’t like it was going to stay like that forever.

“Nothing Wonshik had would fit him, and he refused to wear my clothes.”

Hyuk smiled at and walked right up to Leo in a friendly way that Hakyeon thought only someone who hadn’t encountered the dark haired slave’s icy disposition personally would, “Hi, I’m Hyuk. Jaehwan said you were scary but you don’t seem so bad.”

Raising an eyebrow at that introduction Leo pursed his lips a bit but seemed to decide not to reply.

“Those terrible shackles,” Jaehwan shook his head at the discolored pieces of metal around Leo’s wrists and Hakyeon rolled his eyes.

Grasping Leo by his arm he pulled the slave onward towards the large open doors of the Arcade which was already crowded with people, “Well get on with this then if they bother you so much.”

Hakyeon insisted on seeing Wonshik’s store first, which dealt with engineering and designing machines, including horses, carriages, vehicles, trains and flying machines. After that they hopped from boutique to boutique purchasing new clothes for Leo. The slave appeared mostly disinterested in all the fuss, sometimes even refusing to step into stores- which proved a huge problem when he had to be measured. Hakyeon ended up learning a lot about tailoring that day as Leo often only allowed his master close enough to take his measurements, though not without many threatening glances and muttered whining.

Smiling and telling Leo how good he would look in the clothes later on seemed to make his slave just a bit more compliant, though it did not help that his behavior with Leo seemed to amuse everyone else around him.

“LeoLeoLeo!” Hakyeon slapped Jaehwan for probably the fifth time that day as they excited the formal suit tailor’s place when the marquis imitated his tone, Jaehwan rubbed the spot on his chest as he laughed, “But it’s cute though, he looks like he may kill you before the day ends, but it’s cute!”

At the barber Hakyeon dragged Leo into a chair, feeling much more tired than he should be at only midday. He had Leo’s hair trimmed so that it was neater, shorter at the back, a bit wavy and softer as it fell near his eyes. Standing beside Leo’s chair, he watched the subtle transformation happen in the mirror before them, their eyes meeting as the barber did the finishing touches and Hakyeon smiled.

“Ah, my Leo is so handsome.” He said without thinking, flushing immediately after, especially when he saw Leo’s eyes widen- not by much but it was noticeable. His slave broke eye contact with him then, turning away as he stood and Hakyeon shifted his attention quickly to the barber to inquire about the bill. At the corner of his eyes he could have sworn he saw Leo’s back shaking, almost as if his slave was laughing.

 “Great.” Jaehwan smiled when he saw Leo as they came out of the barber’s, he took Hyuk’s hand and beckoned them to the next floor, “Jewelers next.”

Jaehwan instructed Hakyeon on how to match Leo’s outfits with different collars and shackles, which Hakyeon only half listened to. He was too busy worrying about the ride back to land at the end of the week, with all the clothing, fabrics and jewelry he had purchased and sent to Wonshik’s home for the time being, he would probably have to make the dirigible take two trips. He also wondered what he would tell his parents when he got back- that he had bought a slave that was worth a small fortune (though not by his own pocket), and then bought two boatloads of finery for mentioned slave in one day?

Within a few minutes Jawhean was distracted with his own purchasing as he eyed a choker made of intertwined gold pieces, uncut diamonds and rubies fixed into it, along with hanging pearls. Hyuk rolled his eyes when Jaehwan called him to trying it on, the marquis was given the piece of jewelry by one of the staff and he held it open waiting for Hyuk to come forth.

“No, we bought lots of things yesterday, master.” Hyuk said, ironically, as he moved to stand behind Leo.

“Hyukkie! Come here.” Jaehwan pouted as he approached his slave and Hyuk moved away, grinning as Jaehwan followed and the two played something that looked a lot like ‘tag’ around the staff, Hakyeon and Leo.

“Who’s cute now?” Hakyeon chuckled when Jaehwan finally cornered Hyuk, he took his collar off and replaced it with the choker, looking pleased with it. He told the staff that he would take it.

“Your Highness, your Lordship.” a man, who looked like he could be the store’s owner, approached them and thanked them for the purchases. When he turned to Jaehwan he said, “Just a while ago I had the pleasure of advising your wife.”

Jaehwan visibly froze at that, “M-my wife? Where?” he spun around looking about the store even though Hakyeon knew if she were here they would have seen her, it wasn’t that large of a boutique.

“Well, just a minute ago-”

Jaehwan laughed, though it sounded forced, he took Hyuk and Hakyeon by the hand each and started to move towards the door, Leo following close behind, “Well that will be all for today, please put everything on my tab and send it all to the house.” He waved and the moment they were out of sight of the store and everyone in it Jaehwan quickly pulled them all behind the bulk of a rather large archway.

“What’s going on?” Hakyeon asked him.

Jaehwan was peeking over the side, his eyes combing the crowd and then the many floors that towered over them, the balconies which were also crowded with shoppers.

“She doesn’t know I’m here, I told her I was going to the office.”

Hakyeon frowned, “Why lie about spending time with me?”

“It’s not you, of course not, it’s-” Jaehwan’s eyes widened and he quickly hid behind the pillar again. Curious, Hakyeon pulled him away from the edge and replaced Jaewhan’s spot, sneaking to look also. After some searching he saw Heeyeon, she was with her friend, Hakyeon recognized her from their wedding, a Baroness of some sort named Hyojin. Hakyeon always thought it was cute how close they were, even for childhood friends. Turning back to his friend he asked pointedly, “Is there a reason why you’re hiding from your wife Jaehwan?”

He watched as Jaehwan and Hyuk’s eyes met, the slave raising one of his eyebrows as if to say ‘well?’.

Jaehwan put on that forced grin again, “How about we leave this place and get some lunch? I mean we’re done here right? Yes! Lunch it is. Come on Leo.” Jaehwan tugged Hakyeon’s slave by the arm and pulled him away before the other two could say anything more.

Seeming to forget about the restaurant in the Arcade that he had been boasting about since they had entered the building that morning, Jaehwan lead them lower down the street to a café for a small lunch and some tea. While their master sat and ate at a table Leo wandered about the place, which had been cleared of patrons for their visit, and Hyuk followed him, trying to get the other to talk by being as talkative as he possibly could. Much like an eager puppy begging for the attention of a grumpy and intentionally distracted cat.

 Hakyeon watched Leo approach a display case holding cakes and pastries, he stared intently at the delicately decorated assortment for a while before he look over his shoulder at his master. Hakyeon nodded and Leo turned his attention to the staff waiting behind the case, pointing to which ones he wanted.

“Master, I’m getting cake.” Hyuk said before he joined Leo, leaning over the display as he decided which ones he wanted.

“Are you informing me or asking me?” Jaehwan muttered and Hakyeon laughed. Jaehwan’s eyes fell on him over the rim of his tea cup and he studied his friend for a while, a rare solemnity in his eyes. Hakyeon waited.

“I never told you this but,” Jaehwan began softly, even though no one but Hakyeon was close enough to hear, “before Heeyeon and I were married we had an agreement. We had been friends long before, as you know, and we both have demanding, traditional minded parents, so we mutually picked each other. I thought it would be a good idea because as friends we understood each other and we could be honest with one another.”

Hyuk was now trying to haggle Leo into giving him the last of some delicious looking chocolate pastry and Jaehwan smiled as he watched Leo closely listen to Hyuk’s proposition then resolutely shake his head no as he popped the pastry into his mouth.

“I thought that maybe marriage, even though it was happening against my will, would be pleasant if it was with a friend who understood me. Who understood- that Hyuk is-” Jaehwan twisted his mouth as he cocked his head to the side, cutting himself off either because of a swell of emotion or sudden embarrassment of what he was trying to put into words, Hakyeon couldn’t tell. He seemed to have decided not to go any further into the topic though, smiling instead at his best friend, and Hakyeon did the same showing that he understood.

Just then the two slaves returned, holding their spoils of sweets from the display in small boxes the staff had given them. Hyuk sat beside Jaehwan, on the floor where a soft cushion had been rested. Hakyeon watched him rest the box on his lap, then elbow Jaehwan in his side in order to get his master’s attention so Hyuk could ask him to pour him some tea.

Hakyeon looked up in time to see Leo step over the cushion on the floor and drop himself into the seat beside him, what could have been a curious air in his eyes when he realized Hakyeon was watching him. Hakyeon shook his head as he smiled, in an admittedly affectionate manner, at Leo, his hand automatically moving to adjust the strands of hair on Leo’s forehead. He had briefly wondered at some point in the day about whether he was monopolizing his slave by touching him like this, but Leo’s consent seemed to be in his unresponsiveness as he had witnessed himself, a number of times today, the way the slave reacted when he didn’t want to be touched.

Leo hadn’t shrugged him off- yet - and he didn’t know how he may feel if his slave ever did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jaehwan’s home was a vast Greek villa, made of several compartments encircling courtyards which held the gardens and fountains. The house was situated at the very edge of Cratus, with a couple apartments having a view of the sky and blood-chilling drop- so of course that was the apartment Jaehwan told his servants to set Hakyeon up in.

The moment he entered his room Hakyeon went about shutting the curtains over every window he could find. Leo sat on the edge of the bed watching him as he moved around, the smallest of smiles on his lips at the way Hakyeon tightly closed his eyes every time he approached a window.

Hakyeon was still anxious when he was finished, walking about the room, opening the few parcels of Leo’s new clothes which had been sent here while he angrily muttered about he would do to Jaehwan later. The marquis had invited him to stay the night. Hakyeon had only ever heard about Jaehwan home, the size and beauty of it, the way the lights were always on because the house never slept, there were always guests- feasting, drinking, enjoying company- even when the Lord and Lady of the house weren’t there.

 Jaehwan said it was good for business, always being hospitable helped him make numerous connections as guests came from all over the world to see his home and enjoy his graciousness, but Hakyeon thought this was one of the most uniquely Cratusian things he had encountered so far on his vacation. He couldn’t imagine how frustrated he would be constantly having guests in his home who never left.

Leo was still wearing the tunic and iron shackles, mostly because Jaehwan had convinced Hakyeon in the charm of Leo making an ‘official debut’ of sorts at his home. It was a bit ridiculous, debuting a slave, but Hakyeon couldn’t see the harm in dressing Leo up and showing him off a little. He had shooed all of the servants away from his apartment deciding he would get Leo ready himself.

Hakyeon took out first a black satin collar, it was made of silk and was rather understated with rows of iridescent black pearls lining the length and a single cameo at the center made of a piece of ivory carved into the shape of Hakyeon’s family crest. It made him blush a little as he rest it on the bed, his eyes flickering toward Leo who seemed none the wiser as he boredly watched Hakyeon. He was imagining Leo with that collar on, Hakyeon’s collar with Hakyeon’s mark on it, for all to see and know who Leo belonged to.

Trousers and gloves made of the same shade of polished black leather were laid out, as well as a black blazer which had been tailored to suit Leo’s broad shoulders, his slender waist and long arms, and a tie with a baroque pattern which complimented the shades of color in Leo’s collar perfectly. Hakyeon himself would never dressed like this but he thought the color scheme and tailored lines somehow matched Leo’s personality.

“Now for the bath.” He smiled at his slave before he scurried excitedly towards the exit, the bath was down the hall, Hakyeon was half way there before he realized he was alone and ran back to his bedchamber. “Come Leo.” He grasped the slave’s hand and tugged him all the way to the baths.

The tub was large and carved into the stone floor, it was already filled, clouded with bath salts and lavender blossoms, the water was steaming invitingly.

“May I?” Hakyeon held his hand up before Leo’s tunic, there was a short pause before the slave nodded and he was allowed to pull the piece of clothing over Leo’s head. His chest was smooth, clear of any scars which meant that all his punishments were purposefully payed on his back- Hakyeon guessed it would be more difficult to sell a slave who was scarred everywhere. He helped Leo out of the trousers and cloth undergarments, trying to imitate the way his servants would respectfully undressed him, though, admittedly, his eyes did wander.

 Lastly, he removed the shackles, which were a bit rusted and took some time to unlock. When they were gone, dropped to the floor atop the rest of the clothing to be thrown away, Hakyeon gently massaged the skin of Leo’s wrists which were just a little irritated with chaffing.

“Leo, can you do the same for me please?” Hakyeon took the chance and said. He tried to sound confident, like this wasn’t the most ridiculous request, like he didn’t mostly expect Leo to ignore him and make him feel embarrassed for even asking, but he didn’t think he was successful at that.

Hakyeon wondered if Leo would ever stop surprising him when the slave went right to work at undressing him, first concentrating on removing Hakyeon’s cravat, which was made from lace and had been complicatedly knotted by one of his servants that morning. Hakyeon laughed out, the sound echoed by the smooth mosaic tiles which covered the walls of the room, making Leo jump a little and look up at him.

“I’m sorry, carry on.” Hakyeon straightened, deciding not to comment on how serious and focused Leo was, how cute he looked.

After getting the cravat off Leo easily unbuttoned Hakyeon’s coat, removed his vest then pulled his blouse out of his trousers before unbutton that too, sliding the clothing off of Hakyeon’s shoulders when he was done. Hakyeon thinks he wishes Leo was less respectful- or at least not so good at shuttering his expressions.

The duke grasped his shoulders from the chill of the room as Leo’s bent down to pull his trousers off, and when Leo takes removes Hakyeon’s undergarments the only change in his behavior Hakyeon could pick up on was the way Leo swallowed as he turned away to rest the clothes in a neat pile on the floor- something Hakyeon hadn’t asked him to do.

Leo didn’t wait to be asked to enter the tub, walking right passed Hakyeon when he was finished and stepping in, he swam to the furthest end and occupied his eyes with anything but Hakyeon as the duke entered the water. Hakyeon settled on a seat, which cause the water to stop at his chest, and gave Leo a couple of moments before he called him.

“Would you sit next to me please?” He patted the seat underwater, explaining more when Leo didn’t budge, “I want to bath you.”

The slave’s eyes glanced up at him at that and stayed there a while studying Hakyeon’s face like the duke was some sort of puzzle- that is if anything were to be read from his face at all.

“Why?” Hakyeon hears and he tries not to be too excited by Leo speaking, least it shows on his face and the slave stopped – _twice in one day, he must be warming up to me._

Hakyeon let a small smile touch his lips, “I want to care for you, nothing more to it.” _You’re mines to spoil_ , he thought, that was the ‘more to it’, but he hoped Leo would understand that himself. Hakyeon would show him.

Sighing when his slave still refused to budge, or even look at him right now, Hakyeon picked up the cloth and rose colored block of soap, which was waiting at the side of the bath, before he swam over to Leo. His slave tried to move away but Hakyeon wrapped his free arm around his chest, pulling him down to sit, surprisingly without any fight, and after lathering the cloth he began rubbing the suds over Leo’s flushing neck, over the scars that webbed his back, which he thought weren’t ugly at all if not sad, and his arms.

Hakyeon swore he heard Leo sigh when he asked him to turn around. Their eyes met when Leo faced him and there was a flash of something in there before Leo picked up the soap, lathered his own hands and began washing Hakyeon, his palms and fingers sliding up Hakyeon’s chest to curl over his shoulders and neck and causing the duke to pull away and laugh.

The glare he received was obviously telling him to sit still and Hakyeon complied, though not without the biggest grin on his face.

“I need to ask you something, before we go out there tonight.” Hakyeon said a bit more seriously a while later, and he could somehow tell Leo was listening intently, “Leo.” He gently pulled his slave’s head up by his chin so that their eyes met, “do you want to go out there tonight?”

Leo’s eyebrows crinkled just enough for Hakyeon to get that he was confused by the question.

“The type of guests Jaehwan hosts, they- they’re very-” Hakyeon thought about it but realized that he couldn’t find more polite words to describe the superior, dogmatic attitudes of the people that populated his circles. Especially the ones in Cratus who were more privileged and deliberately oblivious to the realities of the real world than the average aristocrat on land. From the moment Leo was bought for him, and has been in his possession, his slave has mostly encountered Wonshik and Jaehwan who were both open-minded and approachable men.  “-different, they’re all different from Jaehwan, Wonshik and me. These people would have certain _expectations_ of you, I guess, expectations of the way you should behave.”

“Like a slave.” Leo filled in calmly and Hakyeon cupped his face now as he shifted closer to his slave.

“I’m not saying I _want_ you to sit at my feet and behave like slaves usually do, I just don’t want you to do anything you really don’t want to, and I don’t want them to condemn you for behaving the way you want to behave.”

“You’re protecting me.” Leo said and Hakyeon blinked at him, for a moment going completely blank because even though Leo always spoke softly there was something warm and quivering about the way he said those words.

Hakyeon nodded, “Yes, yes I don’t want you to be criticized by them.” _I don’t want anyone punishing you_ , he thought, even though Leo was his now and no one but Hakyeon could ever touch him. But there were other, intangible ways, Leo could be hurt.

Leo’s eyes slide away from Hakyeon’s stare as he said, “I don’t mind, acting like your devoted slave- for you.”

Smiling as something in his chest heated and swelled at Leo’s words, Hakyeon couldn’t stop himself from leaning in, stopping when his and Leo’s foreheads met, “For me?” he said softly and Leo flushed even more than he already was, making his master giggle.

Hakyeon breathed out, his eyes momentarily closing under Leo’s intent study, he was relieved that things seemed to be understood between them, he sat back as he said, “If you want to go we’ll go down, and if you want to leave just tell me.”

Leo seemed a little uncomfortable but he nodded.

“Okay, let’s get ready then.” Hakyeon started finishing up the bath, rinsing Leo off then himself in the warm water of the tub.

In the bedchamber Hakyeon put on a robe and then dried and dressed Leo himself. To his embarrassment this was a bit of a challenge, so used as he was to his servants dressing him. Hakyeon had thought he could have easily imitated what he’s seen his servants do but some things, like tying Leo’s tie neatly, were a lot more difficult than he expected. When he was finished he stood back and thought Leo looked really handsome- and it was all his doing.

The last piece was the collar, which Hakyeon placed around Leo’s neck with a shy sort of reverence which he hoped Leo didn’t pick up on as he thought it was a bit silly the way seeing Leo in the collar, putting it there himself, made him feel. Leo helped him dress after that, and he surprisingly knew what he was doing- Hakyeon figured it was something he was trained in.

Most of Jaehwan’s guests seemed to be collected in the western wing of the villa, which was a large square of assorted apartments with its own courtyard and gardens at the center. Guests bowed as Hakyeon walked passed, greeting him, their eyes ultimately falling on Leo who stood just over his shoulder, his head bowed and eyes never straying from Hakyeon’s back.

It was early evening, so after briefly being introduced to a few people Jaehwan thought he should know, Hakyeon and some other guests moved to the dining room to be served dinner at the table which was long enough to span the entire length of the room and sit dozens of people. Hakyeon sat besides Jaehwan, Hyuk and Leo between them.

Leo had quietly took a seat on an embroidered cushion beside Hakyeon’s knees, the duke thought his slave would have been stiff and moody while playing his role but Hakyeon didn’t sense any reluctance on Leo’s part so far. In fact, Leo had stood closer than he had too behind him, warming Hakyeon’s back with his soothing presence, curling his fingers around Hakyeon’s elbow as they walked, even now he was leaning against Hakyeon’s leg as the duke sat at the table being served by a maid.

On Jaehwan’s other side was his wife, Heeyeon’s silence was icy throughout the dinner, never laughing at any of Jaehwan’s jokes- a task she was usually up to doing. Hakyeon observed that Hyojin, who sat to Heeyeon’s left, seemed to be shooting her looks which were just as concerned as his, the marquise ignoring them both as she requested probably her fourth glass of wine since dinner began.

Hakyeon was distracted by a tug on the fabric at his elbow and looked down to find Leo, cheek resting against Hakyeon’s thigh, staring up at him with an expression which, for some reason, was very comprehensible to Hakyeon. He smiled down at his slave.

“Hungry Leo?” he asked and Leo nodded. Hakyeon cut a piece of his beef fillet, scoping it onto his fork along with the artichoke. He placed his palm under Leo’s chin as he feed him, asking if it was good as Leo chewed. His slave nodded.

Hakyeon fed him a few more bites, promising to have a proper dinner sent for Leo when they returned to his apartment later. He didn’t realize he was being watched until someone seemed to have made some sort of joke and the other guests chuckled around him.

“My apologies, your Highness.” An older woman who was sitting opposite him spoke. She wore a top hat that looked exactly like a bronze ornate teacup on a white lace doily, there was even a spoon sitting side it, “I was just saying that I hoped that, besides celebrating your birthday, your Highness would probably be in talks with other like-minded entrepreneurs to open one of your marvelous theaters here on Cratus.”

“Oh,” Hakyeon returned her pleasant smile, fully aware that that wasn’t what she was just saying, “Actually, no, I have no plans to purchase property here on Cratus.”

There was a unanimous sound of disappointment along the entire table at this, even the farthest end which Hakyeon was certain was too far to hear what he just said. He suddenly felt like he should be apologizing. “Is there something wrong?” he asked sounding a bit baffled.

“Please excuse my frankness, your Highness, I don’t want to seem pushy, but we must insist.” The woman answered, “You see, the drama industry on Cratus is so poor, much less exciting than it is on land- the casinos run the entertainment industry up here, and when we’re bored with that someone is always throwing a ball” they laughed, “But really, we would be fortunate if someone like you, with such great taste for the arts, were to bring life to it up here.” She finished and everyone around the table showed their approval in some way.

Hakyeon’s main job at home was managing his family’s long-time properties and businesses, he had been prepped for that job since childhood as the heir to his line. Sometime along the way, though, he had found the opportunity to dabble in a few things he had always secretly found interesting, which was drama. He opened, first, one theatre in his home city, then a theatre, arts and literature school nearby. With their success he opened a few more in other cities around the country. None of them very big, as he was always reminded by his parents where most of his attention should always lie, but the playhouses never seemed to be enough to satisfy the demand. The people on land, both aristocrats and the public, really seemed to enjoy his little theatres, but he never expected this to have caught on to the people on Cratus.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you Cratusians knew anything existed under the skirts of this floating machine,” Hakyeon joked and they all laughed. In an attempt to shift the conversation away from his none-existent plans to open a playhouse on Cratus- even if he was now imagining what it could be like at the back of his mind now that these people had mentioned it- Hakyeon turned to his best friend, “Jaehwan, you haven’t told me of these casinos, are you trying to protect my pockets?” he said and everyone chuckled, their attention returning to the host.

The rest of the night panned out with Hakyeon talking amicably with the few people he knew and a couple he was just introduced to in the parlour some of the guests had moved to after dinner. He also spent that time keeping an eye on the quietly escalating tension between Jaehwan and his wife. They hadn’t spoken a word to each other but Heeyeon hadn’t taken her eyes off of Jaehwan or his slave, she also didn’t curb her drinking. It reached a point where she obliviously began to feel sick, Hyojin informing everyone that she was a bit ‘under the weather’ so she would take friend to her chambers for the night.

Hyuk, seeing Hyojin struggle to get the marquise on her feet from the chair she sat on, was the first to bounce up to help. When Heeyeon saw who had helped her up, her face contorted in a pained scowl. Hakyeon saw her hiss something at Hyuk which made the slave immediately back away, but her hand lashed out, grabbing a hold of the choker Jaehwan had bought Hyuk that day, and yanking it. It burst, spilling pieces of gold and pearls onto the marble floor and making the room fall tensely quiet. Heeyeon looked more shock by her behaviour than anyone else in the room, he eyes wide as she quickly apologised to everyone. She bowed before she left the room, followed by Hyojin.

Jaehwan appeared very troubled as he looked between Hyuk, who was now quiet and visibly self-conscious without his collar as he helped the other servants clean up the pieces of jewellery off the floor, and the doorway his wife had disappeared through.

Hakyeon touched his shoulder, “Don’t worry I’ll check on her.” Jaehwan gave him a sad yet thankful smile as he nodded and Hakyeon left the room, Leo close at his back.

He didn’t exactly know what he would say to Heeyeon, she was always closer to Jaehwan than she was to Hakyeon, but he thought he should at least try to explain to her what was on his friend’s mind. Jaehwan was never very good at explaining exactly how he felt, even if he said Heeyeon and him had an agreement, there was a good chance that she never exactly understood how Jaehwan felt for Hyuk, maybe Hakyeon could talk to her about it.

Through a courtyard and into another apartment, Hakyeon fund a servant whom he questioned about where marquise had gone. He was pointed down an open walkway along a small garden, lined with marble columns, it lead to another smaller apartment that supposedly held a morning room. As he approached the room Hakyeon slowed, hearing a voice that sounded very much like someone shouting. Unable to get any distinct words from the muffled sound he neared until it abruptly stopped and Hakyeon heard something that was a lot like Heeyon gasping.

Nearing the doorway of the morning room, Hakyeon creeped as quietly as he could, he would say that it was because he didn’t want to disturb Heeyeon long before he admitted that he was actually eavesdropping. He felt Leo at his back as he leaned his head to peak over the side of the door way, his eyes widening as he found Heeyeon being kissed by Hyojin. At first Hakyeon wondered if he should step in because Jaehwan’s wife looked surprised, held down and pressed against the wall by the other woman’s weight, but before his eyes Heeyeon’s body relaxed and she leaned up into the kiss, giving back as much as she was given.

Leo eventually began tugging on Hakyeon’s jacket, which broke the duke out of his dazed staring and he quickly moved away from the room, mostly being pulled along by his slave. Hakyeon pulled his jacket out of Leo’s grasp and replaced it with his own hand.

“Well, I guess I don’t have to speak to her anymore, at least not about the Hyuk and Jaehwan topic.” He said to Leo, “Leo, where are you taking me?” Hakyeon asked after he realised that was definitely not being led in the direction of the parlour.

“I’m hungry.” He heard and Hakyeon snorted. He guessed they would just retire for the night, as tired as he was indeed after dragging Leo around the Arcade all day, and – maybe – tell Jaehwan about what he saw tomorrow.


	4. Chapter IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter....

 

Leo woke up to legs tangled with his, an arm over his shoulder, his master’s fingers intertwined in his hair, Hakyeon’s palm warm and comforting on the center of his scalp.

“Would you please sleep here with me Leo?” Hakyeon had said, in that patient way that his master thought wasn’t forceful but still held an air of authority Leo realized the royal just couldn’t squash out of himself. This had happened after his master had realized that the Marquis of Bacchus hadn’t supplied their room with two beds, “We could share, I don’t mind.” Hakyeon didn’t want to call the servants in and make them tote another bed this late at night, ‘ _too much fuss’_ he called it.

Purely for the sake of being petulant Leo had ignored him, sitting on the floor at the foot of the large four poster bed with its canopy- extravagant like everything was in this estate, even more so since his master seemed to be a special case.

His master had sighed, almost forlornly. He pestered Leo a bit more, trying to tantalize him with promises of treats for breakfast the next morning, and the benefits of spending the night in a comfortable bed, but eventually he shut up and climbed in. One quiet ‘ _good night Leo’_ was heard before all went still and his master fell asleep, leaving Leo to himself even though he could have commanded it, he could have punished him and forced him to. Leo thinks that maybe he should stop testing this person, that maybe this was all there was to it, accept that his new master was nothing like any person he had every encountered before.

Accept that that made him want to climb obediently into the bed.

It was a bit hot right now, with the sun pouring onto his back through the open terrace doors, a servant had stepped a while ago opening the curtains his master had shut last night in an attempt to ease the duke out of sleep. When Leo shifted a bit his master scowled in his sleep from the light that had shone on his face and Leo quickly moved back into the position he was before.

He stares, at the way his master’s forehead gradually un-crinkles and his eyes flutter shut once more, relaxing into such a peaceful expression that Leo thinks it would be criminal to disturb, it was a bit mesmerizing.

Biting down on his bottom lip, Leo chewed on it for a couple of seconds, letting it slip out from between his teeth before he says, “ _Hakyeon._ ” Soft as a puff of air released within the space between him and his master’s faces. 

It sends waves of excitement, like sparks cackling over his flesh, flushing his entire body red, all from the wrongness of what he’d just done. Calling his master’s name, letting the word slip out of his unworthy mouth. The punishment this would merit, would have if this person was the type of person he had been trained to serve

“Mn, Leo, close the windows.” His master grumbled, mouth downturned as he flips over, away from the light, and blindly grabs the nearest pillow to replace Leo in his arms.

After a couple moments of staring quietly at his master’s back, mostly expecting the man to return but being disappointed, Leo got out of the bed and went to the curtains to shut them. He startled when the door to his left opened, but it was just the Marquis of Bacchus.

“Oh Leo, you’re awake.” Jaehwan smiled at Leo, though it fell a bit at the slave’s slightly worried gaze, “Oh, not to worry, Hakyeon and I have known each other since we were in diapers, that’s why I entered his bedchambers like this.”

“He won’t mind?” Leo’s eyes flickered cautiously towards his sleeping master’s form then back to the marquis.

“Well, I didn’t say he wouldn’t mind, just that I could if I wanted to.” Jaehwan laughed, Leo watched him walk right up to his master’s side of the bed, “I sent my servants to wake him but I guess they’re a bit intimidated by my idiot friend here. Can you believe it? This is why he should have brought his own handmaids with him.”

Watching, a bit amusedly, as the marquis commenced in waking his master up via alternating between patting his cheek and calling him nicknames that Leo thought sounded a bit rude but were affectionately delivered.

“Mn-what are you doing here?” Hakyeon grabbed Jaehwan’s wrist to put a stop to the pinching of his cheek.

“I wanted to talk about last night.” Jaehwan told him, “And before you ask I’m only this early because you also have plans to meet Joonmyun, am I right?”

“Oh right.” Hakyeon sighed into his palms as he covered his face, he was regretting squeezing all these plans into one week, he had promised Wonshik, Jawhwan and Joonmyun his full attention but now he didn’t think he had the energy. He just wanted to sleep for two days straight. But then Jaehwan pinch ear, “Okay, okay, I’m up.”

Jaehwan chuckled, stepping away as Hakyeon swung his feet over the bed, when he looked up there was a robe being held out for him. Looking further up he realized that it was being held by Leo. Hakyeon and Jaehwan’s eyes met, the marquis quirking an eyebrow at him, but neither men commented, Hakyeon took the robe, after thanking his slave, and slipped it on. 

After dressing, with Leo’s help and dressing his slave in turn, Hakyeon went out into the morning room of his apartment where Jaehwan had breakfast laid out on a small table. Hakyeon could have kissed the man when he saw coffee amongst the fare. Leo sat in the seat beside him and Jaehwan waited, watching with an amused smile on his face, as Hakyeon filled the slave’s plate for him before settling down with a full cup of coffee.

 “What did you do to my wife Hakyeon? She didn’t return last night.” The Marquis smirked at the horrified expression that crawled onto Hakyeon’s face at what he was implying.

The marquis waved him away, “Oh, don’t let it trouble you we have a very unique relationship: I pretend I don’t see anything as long as she does the same for me. More people should incorporate this in their marriage actually, it really makes our bond stronger.”

Hakyeon laughed, resting his cup down so he wouldn’t spill it, “I wasn’t the one keeping Heeyeon- busy – last night, Jaehwan.” He suddenly felt a little uncomfortable mentioning what he saw, maybe it wasn’t his business to tell. Jaehwan’s eyebrow was quirked questioningly, so Hakyeon said instead, “Your home is truly an exciting one Jaehwan,” Hakyeon lifted his cup in a toast towards his best friend, “It’s about to become even more interesting.”

Jaehwan frowned, “If that was meant to confuse me then congratulations.”

The duke shrugged, “I try.”

Joonmyun had promised to meet him in the morning but Hakyeon ending up spending his time waiting in the company of Jaehwan and his guests. By the time Chen entered the garden in which they were having tea, announcing that his cousin was outside, it was late-afternoon.

Hyuk leaned his head closer to Leo from where they sat in between their masters, and whispered, “That is Chen, he is Prince Joonmyun’s slave. Don’t ever listen to a word he tells you, just smile and do the exact opposite.” Leo turns to Hyuk but he’s already back in the position he was before, leaning against the marquis’ thigh, and Leo’s master was already getting up and following Chen out.

They were walking through the great hall, which was at the main entrance, when his master suddenly turned around and grabbed Leo’s hand, pulling him towards the archway of a large window which created a nook tucked away from the eye at certain angles. His master smiled at him then leaned forward, enclosing all the space between them, Leo closed his eyes and felt cool lips press against his cheek.

Startled, Leo bowed his head to hide how flushed his face had become as he tried to understand what was happening.

“That’s your reward for last night, you behaved very well.” His master filled the small space between them with these soft words, his hand cupped Leo’s face, gently encouraged him to look up. Leo shrunk away a bit and rose his hands to cover his face because his redden cheeks were chuckled at, but his master followed, he grasped Leo’s arms holding them up. Leo’s wrists had been shackled that morning, white gold bands encrusted with many white and black diamonds in the shape of vines all around the face.

His master seemed to accept that Leo couldn’t bring his eyes to meet his at the moment, Leo was too overwhelmed both by the attention and the praise.

“Are you up to doing the same today?” his master continued into his ear, Leo shivered at the feel of warm air puffing on the sensitive skin there, “I’m not sure where Joonmyun is taking me but it will most likely be amongst people just like the ones from last night, probably worst. Though I’ll be there, I won’t leave your side.”

Leo nodded when his master was finished, it didn’t matter, he would always say yes, but it was nice to be asked, it made him blush harder and made his chest flutter.

“Great.” His master pecked his cheek one more time before he stepped away, release his arms and Leo had to hold onto the drapes so that he didn’t fall to his knees, “Come on, Leo!”

A large silver carriage waited outside, drawn by steel horses. There were two guards on steamcycles in the front and two more in the back. Chen opened the door and Hakyeon found Joonmyun waiting on the cushioned seat in a quilted frock coat over a crimson embroidered vest and eight button boots. Hakyeon hesitated sitting, all he had on was a simple brocade waistcoat and white long sleeved shirt, he looked a bit underdressed beside his cousin.

“I’ll ask Leo to get my coat.” He turned to go back out but Joonmyun pulled Hakyeon back in by his belt, making him sit.

“It doesn’t matter, you look fine. I just came back from the courts, I’ll stand out more than you will where we’re going.”

“And where’s that?” Hakyeon asks, the slaves entering after him and taking the seats opposite.

“Remember Jinki?” Hakyeon easily recalls the affably cheerful senior among Seunghyun and Joonmyun’s circle of friends back in their days at the academy. “His brother owns an estate in the Eastern side.”

Hakyeon side eyes Joonmyun suspiciously, “Is this work Joonnie?”

With a breathy chuckle Joonmyun squeezes Hakyeon’s knee, “That’s all done for the day Hakyeonnie, we’re just going to have some fun.”

 

 

 

Chen was just slightly larger than his master, a height that wasn’t considerable compared to Leo’s, but his presence was certainly notable, not like a meek slave at all. Leo sneaked glances at the other slave’s sly mouth, the sharp angles of his face, his folded legs. The only thing slave-like about Chen were the simple dark sapphire encrusted shackles on his wrists.

The other’s slave’s eyes slid across and Leo quickly looked away, pretending to be enjoying the views out the window. A couple of minutes later Leo relaxed further in his seat and also folded his legs.

The estate they eventually came to was so large, to Leo it seemed to take forever until the carriage stopped at the actual entrance. Standing in the courtyard, the grey stone body of the castle loomed like an ugly sleeping giant against the orange tainted sky. It was just too large to be beautiful. They were led inside by a shackled slave, through wide corridors and down a few staircases, some hidden, to an auditorium. Dozens of cushioned seats encircled a ring at the center of the room that was bordered by a short wooden wall.

Two female slaves were fighting in the ring as spectators watched, at times roaring when a solid blow was made by either slave. The cluttered energy and disorderly noise that bubbled the place immediately grated on Hakyeon’s nerves, many people were hung over the wall of the ring screaming taunts and cheers as the slaves fought. Hakyeon reached behind him and grasped Leo’s hand as he followed Joonmyun through all the muddled together seats.

Leo wasn’t fazed though, the smell of the blood soaked dirt in the ring, though without the mingling scent of wine and drunk-stink breaths of the spectators, was familiar to him. Brought back memories of a similar ring in a different place, when he was at some tender age. Memories of learning how to fight by force, learning because if you didn’t the slave they put in that circle with you would be forced to turn you into pulp.

The seats Joonmyun choose were beside a richly dressed, dark haired, young noble who was introduced as the Marquis Lee Taemin. Heavily jeweled fingers encircle Hakyeon’s hand and the duke thinks that this man looks a bit too young to be one of Cratus’ leading entrepreneurs. Hakyeon quietly eyes the chains of gilded jewelry hanging from the Marquis’ ears, the orange stained glass spectacles clipped to the tip of his nose.

The marquis beckons them to the seats beside him, Chen and Leo taking seats besides their masters, before he sat himself. A female slave, tiny and scarcely covered by the pearl and lace stitched garment she had on, reassumed her position plastered against Taemin’s leg and thigh, a thick gold collar with a chain attached to the center sat heavily on her neck.

“Your Highness, how’s the birthday activities thus far?” Taemin smiles, shooting a pleased glance at Joonmyun who returns it.

Hakyeon turns quizzically to Joonmyun and he explained, “Taemin owns the Jade House, he helped Jaehwan decide what gift to get you.” He flicked his eyebrows toward Hakyeon’s slave sitting on his other side, their fingers still tangled between their bodies. Leo bowed his head as attention fell onto him and Hakyeon tried not to smirk at how well his slave played his part in public.

“Of course the best selection from my stock was ensured for His Highness.” Taemin butted in, “And what a beautiful choice, I hope he lives up to expectations, all my slaves usually do.”

Hakyeon smiled, “I’m very satisfied.”

Just then the room erupted with cheers as one of the slaves were defeated, the victor panting over her stilled body on the floor.

“That one’s mine.” Taemin told them as he leisurely clapped to his win, “She’s on a streak this week.”

“So I’ve heard.” Joonmyun chuckled.

Taemin’s mouth quirked up at the corners as he nudged his eyebrows towards Joonmyun’s slave, “How about Chen.” He said, “Do you think you could fight for your master’s money?”

“He’s only teasing.” Joonmyun assured Chen, running his hand up and down his slaves’ thigh, “That’s not Chen’s training.”

Chen pouted, “You underestimate me, I have many talents.”

“You do.” Joonmyun smiled, briefly touching Chen’s chin, “But not in fighting.”

Taemin’s fighting slave was tall for a woman, unlike the doll-faced pleasure slaves whose tender milky skin bruised easily under their master’s persistent fingers. Her exposed legs and arms were carved of muscle, but she was slight, quickly dodging the heavy strikes by her next opponent so effortlessly she made him look clumsy. She used no weapons, Leo felt a fluttery anticipation in his guts as he watched her bring the man down with her bare hands and feet by accurately striking his most vulnerable places to weaken him then pummeling him on the floor till her fists were dripping red.

The crowd cheered.

“Isn’t Leo good at fighting Hakyeon?” Joonmyun asked

Interested now, Taemin looked Leo over, “He certainly looks like he is. Who trained you?”

Leo looked to his master and when Hakyeon nodded he said the name of the woman that had taught him at the Jade House, she and the other trainer who had in many ways parented him since he was a toddler.

“Madam Hyori.” The marquis smoothly smiled, “You must be from the last batch she trained before she retired. You should definitely send him in, your Highness. Let’s see what his training can do.”

Joonmyun was already shooting him pointed looks, really his cousin, for his position as a prince, was always too eager to please. Hakyeon would do whatever he wanted regardless of what Taemin and Joonmyun thought, and what he wanted was for Leo to not be hurt- and those slaves fighting in that ring looked ruthless, animalistic almost.

Could Leo really fight like that? Is that how he was trained?

Even if Leo could fight like that he wasn’t sure if he could stomach seeing it.

Ignoring his cousin and the marquis, who were both still waiting for his decision, Hakyeon turned to his slave.

“Leo-”

“Master,” his slave said and Hakyeon was admittedly more surprised into silence by _what_ Leo called him than by the interruption. Leo’s eyes shifted away from his as he continued soft enough that only Hakyeon could hear, “If I fight, will you reward me?”

Until today Leo had never been _rewarded_ , in all his life he had only known punishment and he believes that the lack of it had always been a reward of sorts. Being alive right now was a reward. But, he thought now of his master’s lips on his skin, his persistent hands weighing on his wrists, comforting warmth on his scalp. Perhaps those things were frivolous compared to the rewards of life, and the safety and peace of not being punished- incentives he had known all his life- but Leo thinks now that it wouldn’t be harmful to indulge himself. Maybe he needed this type of reward too.

“Yes, of course.” Hakyeon said, a bit confused but still unhesitant. He could hear Taemin and Joonmyun chuckling, one of them made some joke about him asking for his slave’s permission, he rolled his eyes.

“I want to fight.” Leo nodded and Hakyeon tried not show the bit of disappointment he felt, his inner fears, on his face. Leo looked confident though, as he rose to his feet, eyes on the ring already with something that burned a lot like eagerness within them. Reluctantly, Hakyeon resolved to trust his slave, to mirror Leo’s confidence.

He turned to Taemin, “Okay, he’ll fight.”

“I bet 500k on my slave.” Taemin offered as he waved over the ringmaster who handled the money. Leo in the meantime was already removing his vest and shirt, revealing his muscular chest and arms.

“350k on Leo.” Joonmyun grinned as he slapped Leo’s side, telling him jokingly that he better not let him down.

“One million.” The two men looked at Hakyeon and on finding his eyes steadily sure Taemin smiled.

“Your Highness is confident.”

“Too confident.” Joonmyun pipped in looking worried, “Hakyeon are you sure?”

“Leo will win.” Leo heard his master say simply, like no other outcome was possible, as he made his way down to the ring.

Taemin’s slave wasn’t a challenge for Leo in the end. She was patient and fast, but Leo always preferred to end fights quickly, landing deliberate hits where they counted using the merciless techniques he had been taught, all to land hard hits which were too swift to be dodged. The fight was over before it began and the crowd of nobles were so surprised when her limp body landed on the dirt that there were a few moments of perfect silence before the room erupted. A mixture of cheers and angry protests from those who had betted against Leo.

It was all unruly, the ringmasters shouting through their speaking-trumpets amongst all the noise as others moved closer to the ring to place more bets on this new slave, but Leo was staring up only at Hakyeon. Face as bland as always but his eyes were full of ‘I told you so’s, Hakyeon wanted him back, in his arms where he could congratulate Leo and tell him how proud he was.

“Remarkable.” Taemin told Hakyeon, taking the duke’s attention away from his slave. The compliment on the marquis’ tongue sounded just a bit brittle even though he maintained his constant smile. “But he finished her off so quickly it was scarcely entertaining. How about another?”

The next opponent that Taemin pulled out of his arsenal of fighting slaves was a man twice Leo’s size. When Hakyeon saw him his insides tightened with worry. Leo moved around the ring, quick on his feet, ready to fight. Just before it began he caught the uncertainty in his master’s eyes and smirked. Hakyeon scoffed under breath, muttering, “Don’t be cocky.”

After briefly being tackled and pinned down to the ground, Leo defeated this slave also, rolling him off and pulling his arm around with him until a sharp crack resonated in the room followed by the pained scream of the other slave.

Two more slaves later Joonmyun was beginning to worry, Hakyeon was winning himself a small fortune and he had never seen Taemin look so irritated. The marquis’ smile was gone, he had shrugged off the clingy female slave and sat up right in his chair, arms crossed and expression stony as Leo landed the last flying kick on the head of his latest opponent. Without waiting for the final call for the end of the fight Taemin signaled one of the ringmasters.

“I want Hongbin next.” The ringmaster nodded and was off, Taemin turned to Hakyeon, “If I had known I had such a good fighter in my own stock you may not be Leo’s master, Your Highness.”

“Then I appreciate your inattentiveness.” Hakyeon smirked.

Taemin chuckled shortly, though it lacked all humor, “I’m considering buying him back.”

Hakyeon laughed at that, “Don’t you think you’ve lost enough money today?”

The Marquis’ reply was a dry grin before returning his attention to the ring where they were bringing out the slave he asked for. Leo stepped back as the boy neared, the heavy metal linked chains attached to his shackles hung down to his knees and crackled amid the boisterous whines of the crowd encircling them. He wasn’t as tall or as muscular as any of the slaves Leo had fought so far but he could tell by his slender frame and the way he walked that this one was swifter, more agile than the rest. His dark glare burned at Leo from under his fringe, not that it was effective, Leo knew the act of intimidation when he saw it, he had been trained to do the same.

There was muttering from nobles sitting close to Hakyeon that this slave was one of Taemin’s best, a champion with many wins under his belt. As the fight began Hakyeon felt his nerves melt the resolve in his chest, his body tickled with anxiety as Leo was hit with the chains attached to the slave’s shackles. It collided onto Leo’s back and he arched away from it, crying out and tumbling away from the reach of the other slave, to the furthest end of the ring. Leo panted for air as the pain escalated and his sight hazed in and out, his skin feeling tight, torn and bursting, but he refused to touch it, show how much it hurt.

Suddenly the slave advanced again, Leo rolled away, getting onto his feet just as quickly and turning to land a kick onto the slave’s back before he yanked him up by his hair and shoved him as far away as he could. The slave landed on the ground, dirt clinging to his sweat covered body.

The fight was intense, the crowded quieted through most of it, and Hakyeon wanted to look away many times when Leo appeared to be losing, feeling each hit his slave received on his own skin and his heart clenching in his chest as he prayed it would just end. Even if Leo lost, he just wanted it to be over, he regretted letting him fight and was considering stopping it himself. The shame wouldn’t matter, Leo was more important than what a room of drunk nobles thought of his gamesmanship.

Before Hakyeon could do anything though, the fight abruptly ended, Leo taking the slave down and keeping him there, his knee pressing into the slave’s neck until the ringmasters pulled him off, declaring it a win.

Taking Leo’s clothes with him, Hakyeon was gone before Joonmyun could stop him, going up to the ring to call his slave out. He didn’t want Leo to fight anymore. Though, one of the ringmasters chuckled as he helped Leo over the wall, saying under his breath that the marquis didn’t have any more slaves for Leo to fight anyway.

The welt on Leo’s back was coloring angrily, Hakyeon avoided touching it as he draped the shirt over the slave’s shoulders, whispering how well Leo had done into his slave’s ear as he wrapped his arm around Leo’s waist.

Joonmyun appeared at his side as they walked up the stairs, away from the ring, “That was wonderful.” The prince slapped Hakyeon on his back.

“Yes, but at what price?” Hakyeon tried not to snap at his cousin but he didn’t think he succeeded at that, thankfully Joonmyun was used to his moodiness, he smiled.

“You’re the one who let him fight. Don’t worry, Taemin’s slaves will take care of him, he invited us to stay anyway. Just follow these slaves and they’ll take you to your room and help Leo with his wounds.”

“….Wait- where are you going?”

“Ah, just some business I need to discuss with the Marquis, it won’t take long, I’ll be right up.” Joonmyun tapped Hakyeon’s waist, an apologetic smile to Hakyeon’s frown, “Really, not long.” He reassured, tried to, before he disappeared and Hakyeon was lead out of the auditorium and up to his rooms.

 

 

 

Insisting on being useful, the marquis’ slaves watched powerless and a bit baffled as Hakyeon cleaned his slave of all sweat and splattered blood (thankfully none of the blood belonged to Leo) before they could tend to Leo’s injuries. Most of which were just sore spots where he had been hit on his chest and arms, and of course the giant welt that ran all the way down his back where the last slave Leo fought had gotten him with the chain.

The smell of eucalyptus, arnica and ginger lingered in the rooms as the slaves treated Leo’s injury with an ointment they said they created. It was quite effective, Hakyeon watched the swelling go down significantly with his own eyes, the welt becoming less angry and painful looking.  

Hakyeon hadn’t expected Joonmyun to return at all, but he did as he had promised, entering the rooms with an hour, Chen in toe. Joonmyun’s slave had a suitcase full of papers in hand. Joonmyun shuffled the two slaves out of the sitting room so that he and Hakyeon could catch-up in private.

In the lobby Leo sat in an armchair opposite to Chen, the other slave didn’t seem to be paying him any mind- he had yet to say a word to Leo, not that it bothered him. Chen immediately went to work, opening the suit case and taking out file after file and a few ledgers, he rested it all on the coffee table, then he sourced a pen from his coat pocket. Leo pretended not to be observing him work for about an hour before he got bored and began wondering if it would be terribly rude to barge into his master’s conversation and ask if they could go to bed now.

Leo was too distracted by his thoughts of his master and didn’t realise Chen had gotten up until he heard the door to the sitting room open, he saw the other slave disappear inside. When Chen returned he spoke to Leo for the first time ever.

“Ah, Leo,” he smiled and the edges of his lips curved in a way that made him look impish, “Our masters are hungry, since I’m busy they asked if you could go down to the kitchens and ask the staff to send something up?”

Leo hesitated, blinking up at Chen as he thought of the size of this building, he wasn’t even sure if he could find the exit much less the kitchens. But Chen seemed to read his mind.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll tell you how to get there.” He said before he barraged Leo’s mind with a flurry of seemingly random directions as he led Leo to the door, “And hurry up, you don’t want to keep them waiting.” Chen said before the door was shut in Leo’s face.

There was a number of things to consider here and Leo spent a few minutes doing just that before he made a move. Firstly did his master really assign him such a task? Chen was convincing but there was something about not hearing this command come from his master’s own mouth that made Leo a bit uneasy, like he wanted to see his master right now. But he also didn’t want to disobey.

Recalling and muttering the parts of the directions he remembered Leo decided to quickly find the kitchens and get this over with.

 

 

 

 

Hakyeon was secretly relieved when Joonmyun expressed that he was tired and that he would have to finish telling Hakyeon about his plans for- honestly Hakyeon had lost track of which new building, policy or venture his cousin had been going on about. The two departed, Joonmyun going to his bedchambers and Hakyeon headed back to the lobby to fetch Leo- who he figured was probably hungry, tired and grumpy by now, the image of which made a small smile touch his lips.

The smile fell the moment he saw Chen sitting by himself.

“Where’s Leo?”

Chen eyes slid up from the ledger he was writing in to see Hakyeon standing before him, then to the empty chair opposite, his eyebrows going up, “Oh my.”

Hakyeon frowned.

“He must have wandered off.”

“Chen.” Hakyeon said sternly.

“He’ll be back soon, Hakyeonnie.” The slave waved him of as he returned to his work.

“Yah! What did you do to my- to Leo!?”

Chen chuckled at Hakyeon’s wording, “Just a little prank, I wanted to see if he was all brawn and no brains.”

For a few wild seconds Hakyeon’s imagination roamed freely over all the things Chen could have done to his defenseless slave in the few hours he had been away-skilled fighter or not Leo had no idea how mischievous, and surprisingly protective of the family, Chen could be. Joonmyun’s slave probably thought he should ‘test’ Leo, he’s done the same before to others- it’s been almost a decade since they had first met and Wonshik still trusted Chen ‘as far as he could throw him’, as the baron often says.

“What did you tell him? Where did he go?”

Chen sighed as he realized that Hakyeon was being serious, “I sent him to the kitchens,” Hakyeon was already heading for the door, “But he’ll never find it, neither will you! It’s best to just wait for him to return on his own!”

The only reply Chen got to that was the sound of the door being shut.

Outside Hakyeon searched through a couple corridors, finding no one, not even a servant at this late hour of the night, and eventually decided to head to where he thought the kitchens should be- assuming Leo would have done the same. Kitchens were normally kept in the lower levels if not underground in a castle this size, so Hakyeon descended every staircase he found, backtracking when he was met with dead ends.

Eventually he realized that he had found himself in the dungeons, he could tell by the drastic drop in temperature, the cold seem to radiate off the walls, a dampness in the air. He wondered if this was hopeless, if maybe Leo had found his way back to the room. Maybe a servant had found his slave and helped him back. He decided to turn back, he thinks he sort of remembers how he got here.

As Hakyeon reached the end of the long corridor he had backtracked down, he made a left turn and walked right into a familiar body and smell.

“Leo!” Hakyeon held his slave by his shoulders as if he expected him to disappear again. Leo looked surprised to see him, he just stood still as Hakyeon hugged him.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you.” Hakyeon smiled, Leo sounded much calmer than he was. Hakyeon wasn’t sure what he was expecting as his slave always seemed to maintain a composed mask, but he had to admit Leo’s presence pacified his anxiety drastically.

Leo looked like he was about to ask why his master was wandering about the dungeons himself search for him but they were both interrupted by the sound of people nearing, it was coming from further down the corridor. It sounded like the chatter of a couple of men, their footfalls hustled on the stone flooring. Hakyeon’s face brightened at the prospect of being ‘rescued’ but instead Leo grabbed his arm and began persistently pulling him in the opposite direction.

“Wha-Leo, what are you doing?”

“Guards.” Was all Leo supplied as he picked up his pace, he began jogging down the corridor. Hakyeon figured it made sense to avoid the guards, he and the marquis weren’t exactly that familiar, roaming through the man’s dungeons was a bit suspicious- even if he had an excuse.

The corridor didn’t split ahead, it just continued, eventually leading to a circular room with two other doors on either side, a lot like a hall. There were cages scattered about that looked like they were made to hold slaves, and at the center was two wooden poles bolted to the ground. Leo didn’t give any of these things a glance like Hakyeon did, he determinedly pulled his master towards the nearest door which opened to what appeared to be an armory. The room was small but contained three rows of shelves which were laden with weapons and tools.

Leo pushed Hakyeon ahead of him, helping his master squeeze through the space between the first shelf and the wall, when he joined Hakyeon on the other side Leo pulled him down so that they were hidden behind the mess of chains, swords and clubs on the lower shelves.

It was quiet for a while, Hakyeon shifted so that he could get a view of the closed door through the weapons hanging before him, Leo still had his hand in a firm grasp and it was somehow comforting. All of this trouble just because Chen wanted to mess with Leo, Hakyeon promised to get back at Joonmyun’s slave when they got out of this.

Hakyeon jumped a little when the door to the armory suddenly opened and a guard walked in. Leo moved quickly and soundlessly, pressing Hakyeon further into the shadowy corner between the shelves, basically covering his master with his own body. He was so close Hakyeon could feel the rise and fall of Leo’s chest against his own and realized that his slave was breathing harder he was.

The guard rustled about in the shelf in front of them for a few seconds before he picked a leather whip, in that time Hakyeon had curled his arms around Leo’s back, avoiding the still sore spot, wordlessly reassuring him. When the guard was gone, leaving the door slightly ajar, Leo released him a bit but he refused to look at Hakyeon. As much as he wanted to Hakyeon didn’t think he could ask questions, make any noise at all actually, right now. But he was curious, he could hear the guards moving about, talking, the sound of chains. What were they doing?

Ignoring Leo’s insistent hands, which tried to pull him back- though without any true force – Hakyeon got up and slipped back out from behind the shelf. He tiptoed towards the open door and peaked over the side, using the lack of proper lighting to his benefit.

The guards had a slave tied to the twin poles at the center of the room, and they appeared to be getting ready to punish him. It was only when they moved aside, clearing the way for the guard with the whip, did Hakyeon realize that the slave chained to the poles was the one Leo had defeated last some hours ago.

Hakyeon turned away as the first lash met the slave’s back. It wasn’t hard to imagine it just by the sound, the tearing of flesh. He bumped right into Leo again who had apparently moved behind him while he was snooping, he could see the unease in his slave’s eyes- it wasn’t just that they were in this undesirable situation, the whipping itself was bothering Leo. Hakyeon took his hand and pulled him back to their previous hiding place to wait it all out.

The whipping lasted only about fifteen minutes, after that the guard returned the whip to the armory, then they all seemed to leave, silence falling inside both rooms. When they exited the armory they found that the guards had left the slave there, tied to the poles.

Leo began pulling Hakyeon away but his master didn’t want to leave just yet, he went right up to the slave instead, “Leo, help me take him down.” He said, referring to the chains which seemed to be the only thing keeping the slave off the floor. His back was a bloody mess of open wounds, his dark hair drenched with sweat and blood, but he was softly breathing.

The keys to the chains were on a rack and Leo took most of the injured slave’s weight on his shoulders as Hakyeon released him. Leo resisted the urge to ask his master ‘what now?’ as the duke stood back and observed the two slaves, one partially conscious and definitely unable to stand.

Thoughts feverishly swarm in Hakyeon mind, at first of the slaves who had treated Leo with that miraculous ointment- but no, they would most likely tell their master about this. He didn’t know what would happen if Taemin found out that he had taken the slave away from whatever it was they were doing to him, but he also couldn’t bring himself to leave him here, to just walk away. The only other person he could think of who could help the slave with his wounds was Wonshik.

“When we got here this afternoon the carriage driver- they told him that the stables were underground.” Leo quirked an eyebrow up at his master’s incoherent muttering, obviously the other man was just thinking out loud. When his master finally looked at him he said, “Leo we have to find the stables, it’s somewhere down here, we could get the carriage driver to take us to Wonshik’s home.”


	5. Chapter V

_The house must be on fire_ \- Wonshik figured as he was persistently shook awake by his maid. He glanced at the clock on his wall, 3:45am.

  
“Just call the fire marshals.” He grunted as he rolled away from the woman, in his sleep hazed mind he reasoned that if they could out the flames before it reached his chambers then he technically wouldn’t have to get out of bed.

  
“My Lord, the house is fine, it is your cousin, Prince Hakyeon.” The voice of his maid, though uncertain and hushed, woke Wonshik up faster than he has probably in his entire life.

  
“What’s wrong with Hakyeon?” Wonshik sat up in bed, he voice was rough still, groggy, but even he could hear the tinge of panic. His imagination ran wild as he considered that the last person he knew for sure Hakyeon was with was Jaehwan- of all people, the man who didn’t understand the concept of enough.

  
The maid didn’t look like she knew how to answer that. Wonshik waved her away, ordered for a robe as he climbed out of bed. He slipped the garment on quickly, grabbed up his spectacles from the bedside table and followed the maid down the stairs and through the house.

  
“Why is he in the kitchens?” Wonshik asked as they walked swiftly down the hallway.

  
“Well- they came through the back door and-” the maid’s explanation tapered off as Wonshik stepped in the kitchen and the first thing he saw was a gruesomely injured man lying face down on the preparation table at the centre of the room.

  
Mouth gaping, it took Wonshik a few more moments before he realised that Hakyeon was there also- standing nearby- along with Leo who appeared to be covered in the man’s blood.

  
“I-Is he-”

  
Hakyeon finished his sentence in the affirmative before Wonshik could finish, “He’s alive.” His cousin’s eyes were heavy with worry and he was wringing his fingers. Wonshik had the craziest feeling that Hakyeon was wordlessly asking him something (or at least gearing up to it).

  
“Barely.” Wonshik heard Leo add softly.

  
“He’s a slave, he was-” Hakeyon shook his head, eyes rolling briefly, “ ‘punished’.”

  
“Oh.” Wonshik breathed out as he took his first step since finding the scene, he kept going until he was beside the slave, Hakyeon moving out the way for him.

  
The wounds had stopped bleed it appeared. Wonshik slipped his spectacles on as he examined the man’s back. No bleeding was a good sign but the wounds needed to be cleaned, properly, before an infection settled in- or at least before the infection got worst.

  
Wonshik’s head snapped up, the name of one of his servants on his tongue, but he paused when he saw the three maids were already there, looking curiously back at him at the door.

  
“I need hot water and clean cloth, aloe vera stalks and honey.” The women nodded and began to disperse. Before they were gone he added, “And some pain tonic!”

  
Left alone with his cousin, Wonshik eyes the man, “I can’t help the feeling that there’s a lot more to this story.”

  
Hakyeon’s eyes shifted away from his, he glanced briefly at Leo, his opened hesitantly but Wonshik was distracted when the injured slave stirred. The pain the movement caused seemed to suddenly wake him. The slave clenched his fists, he released a slow shuddering breath as his entire body stiffened like he was holding back on screaming.

  
Wonshik quickly took the slave’s hand, pushing his fingers in so that the slave squeezed Wonshik instead of gauging his nails into his palms. Clenched eyes flickered up in surprise to meet his, they were surprisingly steady as they studied Wonshik’s face in confusion.

  
Leaning closer, Wonshik spoke soft words, “Just hold on it a minute more, they’re getting you some pain tonic. It’ll put you to sleep.”

  
The slave didn’t reply, he was panting now, sweat gathered in beads on his forehead. His eyes didn’t leave Wonshik’s face but he didn’t really seem to be staring either. They won’t need the pain tonic if he passed out, but Wonshik was pretty sure that him losing consciousness like this wasn’t a good a thing.

  
“I’m Wonshik, what’s your name?” Maybe if he could get the slave’s mind off of the pain. Also he wanted to gauge whether there were any head injuries- something he didn’t have the medical skill to deal with.

  
The slave’s brow crinkled and he looked both confused and unimpressed- which surprised Wonshik because he didn’t think someone in that much pain could have the luxury of being condescending, “Why’d they bring me to a doctor? Why didn’t they let me die?”

  
“Well, I’m not really a doctor,” Wonshik looked away as the slave scrutinized him, he muttered, “I’m an- engineer. I make trains, and vehicles- and well some animals too.”

  
To his relief the maids returned at that moment, one bringing him the pain tonic and Wonshik poured enough to knock the slave out long enough for him to take care of the wounds. The slave eyed him wearily as the baron held the measured dose to his mouth but he drank it anyway. Wonshik had a feeling that he only took it because he thought he didn’t have a choice. He wasn’t the slave’s master but he was still above him in authority. At least that was the way he knew slaves were taught to think.

  
From behind Hakyeon watched Wonshik get to work after the slave had fallen asleep. The sky outside the windows was brightening, that was the only sign of dawn up here. For the first time since he got to Cratus, Hakyeon realized the absence of birds- of wildlife, the raw dampness of the earth and the eternal hum of life that accompanied it.

  
Leo had pulled him out of the way, leaving Wonshik and the maids to their work. At some point Leo began wandering about the kitchen, looking inside the ice box and the cupboards. Finally, he seemed to have found the pantry because he returned to Hakyeon’s side with a loaf of bread in hand, tearing off pieces and hungrily stuffing them into his mouth.

  
Hakyeon shook his head when he was offered the second half of the loaf, he didn’t think he could stomach anything at the moment. Though he did accept the cup of tea one of the maids offered and he sat on a stool as he watched.

  
“Those types of whippings,” Wonshik began as he approached Hakyeon sometime after, the slave bandaged and peacefully sleeping on the counter behind him. “are intended to kill a slave. They’d leave them tied on the stand for days, or however long it would take. What did he do for his master to think he deserves something like that?”

  
Wonshik took the half empty cup of lukewarm tea from Hakyeon’s hands and downed it as he watched his cousin’s stunned face. Hakyeon glanced at Leo, “He um- he lost a fight?”

  
Scoffing Wonshik placed the empty mug in the sink, “You’re kidding right.”

  
“No, last night Joonmyun took me to the Marquis’, Taemin’s, estate, and Leo fought in the ring they had there. He beat all of Taemin’s fighters, including- um-”

  
“Hongbin.” Leo softly supplied from over his shoulder.

  
Hakyeon nodded, “Yes, Hongbin, thank you Leo.”

  
“They’re whipping slaves to death for losing fights in rings now?” Wonshik looked confused, he leaned back against the sink.

  
“No, he didn’t do it in front of everyone at the fight.” Hakyeon explained the rest: how they ended up sneaking around in the dungeons of that massive castle, hiding in the armoury and seeing the whipping then taking Hongbin here.

  
“You do know that’s illegal, stealing someone’s slave?” Wonshik folded his arms over his chest, his tone didn’t match up with the smirk that quirked his lips.

  
“Was I supposed to just leave him there?”

  
“No, of course not. I’m actually really proud of you and baffled by how you somehow got away with it. It’s not yours or Leo’s fault though, he probably did it because Hongbin lost the fight but people like Taemin are used to doing whatever they want without consequence. Killing a slave for losing him some money is as commonplace as trading in an old model vehicle for a newer one.” Wonshik looked tired, his voice lacked the usual bitter resentment it was filled with when talking about topics like this. He just sounded unsurprised and exhausted.

  
Hakyeon got to his feet, tugging straight his hopelessly wrinkled and dirtied jacket, “I’m sorry, for dropping all of this on you. This trip has taken such a drastic turn, in just a matter of moments.”

  
“I’m just glad you’re safe, and Hongbin would most likely live to see another day, so there’s that.”

  
Wonshik encouraged Hakyeon to clean up and rest, saying that he would look after Hongbin. Hakyeon couldn’t deny he was a bit relieved for the chance to get some sleep. He took a bath along with Leo who was quiet and helpful, spending the entire time dutifully washing Hakyeon and then helping him out of the bath, drying and dressing him. Hakyeon’s servants held back any remarks on Leo’s obedience, it gave them more free time anyway.

  
One servant brought Hakyeon a telegram from the pipeline as he sat on the edge of his bed about to take his rest. Hakyeon opened the capsule and found a note, written in Chen’s hand, from Joonmyun. He was surprised that Hakyeon had left without telling him, he was worried.

  
Hakyeon quickly replied, explaining that- well, he didn’t know what to say really. Lying was definitely necessary, he didn’t think Joonmyun would take well to him snooping through the Marquis’ home and stealing a slave. It was just all really messy, and Joonmyun- Hakyeon’s entire family really- didn’t do messy. It was threatening to their reputation.

  
‘ _I felt ill_ ,’ he wrote, knowing immediately this was going to sound dumb, he was a terrible liar, it was why he never got into politics, ‘ _it was so late I didn’t want to disturb anyone so I headed back to Wonshik’s. I apologize if I caused you any distress_.’

  
As Hakyeon gave the telegram to the servant to send it on through Wonshik’s pipeline, he hoped that Joonmyun was too busy to read it. That he would be so swamped with Mayer of Cratus-business today that he would forget about Hakyeon and the whole affair with him leaving in the dead of night.

  
Another servant had closed all the drapes so that his bedroom was as dark as it could be at this time of the day. When Hakyeon fell into his bed he looked around, as he noticed something was missing, and found Leo lying in his smaller bed. The one that had been brought in and placed there two nights ago.

  
“Leo, lie next to me.” Hakyeon said and his slave merely looked at him from where he lay on his back, he didn’t look like he had any plans to move, but neither did he look away.

  
Hakyeon sighed, he wondered if his slave planned on being stubborn like this every time they went to bed. He chuckled to himself as he realized that this was probably some type of game for Leo.

  
Grabbing a pillow Hakyeon climbed out of his bed and padded over to the other bed, he threw his pillow into the empty spot on the other side of his slave. Hakyeon felt Leo’s entire body tense when he draped one leg over the slave’s body, placing the palms of his hands on Leo’s chest as he straddled him for a moment to get over to the cool empty side.

  
It’s definitely cosy, he thought as he rested his head down. He’d never been in such a small bed before, smaller even since he was sharing it with someone.

  
Leo tried to get up but Hakyeon had an arm draped around his torso, he held him tighter preventing the slave from sitting up. Hakyeon leaned closer and rest head on Leo’s shoulder, his palm fell over the other man’s heart and he was surprised by the way it fluttered under his fingers. When he glanced up he could see that Leo’s face was a bit flushed, his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. It really was an elegant neck, it would look beautiful with a black ribbon choker wrapped around it, an ivory cameo with Hakyeon’s initials at the centre-

  
Hakyeon squeezed his eyes shut, _I’ve been spending too much time with Jae_ , he shook his head.

  
When their eyes met again Leo’s were so dark and lacked the uneasiness that exuded from his body- maybe he wasn’t nervous at all, Hakyeon thought, it was like he was actually just holding back.

  
“Do you want your reward now, Leo? For winning all those fights, for helping me when I needed you, for being so good.” Hakyeon leaned up on his elbow, he looked down at his slave, ran his fingers along Leo’s jaw. The dark eyes staring up at him shone with marvel, soft lips parted as they grasped for words but seemed to fail.

  
Ultimately Leo just nodded, closing his eyes for a moment or two as he breathed in, making Hakyeon chuckle in the space between them. He could feel Leo’s hands wrap around his waist, cautious and uncertain until Hakyeon shimmied closer, pressing his body into every crevice of Leo’s that he could fit into, tangling their legs together and leaning down so that their foreheads met.

  
Hakyeon smiled as he kissed the tip of Leo’s nose, then pressed his lips on each cheek, waiting until he heard Leo whine, a soft fretful sound of impatience. Curling his fingers around Leo’s throat so that his thumbs pressed the other man’s chin up, Hakyeon let their lips come together and it momentarily left him breathless.

  
His body shuddered, making Leo pause for a moment, he pulled back to look Hakyeon questioningly in the eyes. Hakyeon shook his head, he came forward again, pressing their lips together. Leo couldn’t control his hands anymore, they crawled up his master’s body, from his waist then his back and shoulders, claiming the feel of satin over his master’s skin, the heat of his master’s flesh like water dripping all over him and seeping everywhere. He framed his master’s face with his hands and felt the mouth over his own open up.

  
He’d never kissed anyone before, definitely not like this, but he knew Hakyeon was opening for him and Leo felt like he wanted to claim everything from his master at the moment. He felt like that was what his master wanted him to do.

  
Leo felt hands slide down to his chest, fingers crumpled his night vest as he dipped his tongue into his master, angled his head to the side so he could do as he pleased and show his master how much he wanted him- how much he wanted in ways he couldn’t put into words.

  
Hakeyon leaned back and Leo turned them over causing their bodies to brush against each other in wholly new ways and Leo slid one of his hands down to his master’s waist, pulling it up, flush against his own in a desperate attempt to extend the pleasure, for some sort of friction.

  
Gasping Hakyeon pulled away, “Leo.” Damp lips moved to his neck, kissing and tonguing, the pressure of Leo’s stiff crotch on his was blinding, it felt so good it took every inch of self-control in him not to lean his hips up and give Leo what he wanted.

  
“Hakyeon.” The name was breathed against the skin of neck, a flutter of other incomprehensible but sweetly desperate words were spoken before Leo tensed again, he became very still and looked up at his master- uncertain and guilty. Hakyeon took a while- his mind really wasn’t very clear at the moment- before he realized what was wrong.

  
He rubbed his hands comfortingly on Leo’s back, “I don’t mind.” He said as he leaned up and pressed a kiss on Leo’s reddening lips, “I liked it, ever since the first time, when you thought I was asleep. As long we’re alone, you can call me Hakyeon, okay?”

  
If anyone else heard Leo call him by his first name it would mean trouble for his slave. Probably regardless of what the Duke could do or say about it.

  
Leo didn’t reply, he just blinked at Hakyeon, face unreadable. He looked away and hid his face as close into Hakyeon’s neck and shoulder as he could, his body gradually relaxing after.

  
Hakyeon chuckled again as he wrapped his arms around his slave, enjoying the warmth and closeness, for someone so lean and muscular Leo was quite soft and comfortable when he wanted.

  
“I guess you enjoyed your reward?” a sleepy but content sound was the only reply he got.

 

* * *

 

 

Wonshik sat beside the occupied preparation table in his kitchen, he’d pulled a stool beside Hongbin and was holding one of his thick research texts on his lap. A sheet of paper rested on the opened book as he penned a letter to be sent to the manager of his store in the Arcade. He was supposed to stop by today but he didn’t want to leave Hongbin’s side.

  
Because of his medical concerns for the slave- of course.

  
He glanced up at the still form, probably for the hundredth time- a compulsion he had been trying to control since it’s a bit strange to stare at an acquaintance as they slept. Hence the text book he brought with him.

  
Warm and scrutinizing brown eyes were on him this time. Wonshik paused, he glanced around the kitchen not even sure what or who he was looking for. They were the only ones in here, the servants were about with their daily chores and Hakyeon and Leo were asleep last he checked. His stomach fluttered as he rested his pen between the pages in his book and adjusted his spectacles.

  
“It doesn’t hurt.” Hongbin sounded very weak, half asleep really.

  
“Ah,” Wonshik felt himself take a breath that was strangely filled with relief, strange because he wasn’t sure if it was because Hongbin wasn’t in pain anymore or because the slave apparently wasn’t as wary of him as he had seemed before- maybe it was both. “The pain tonic, it’s working well.”

  
Hongbin shifted enough up to just glance over his shoulder at the bandages on his back. He rested his head down on his arm, eyes shifted up and down Wonshik’s body with uncertainty, like he wasn’t sure if he should say what was on his mind. Wonshik hoped he wasn’t that intimidating but he knew it was more than just that, it was a caution the slave had learned.

  
“Are-are you sure you’re an engineer?” Hongbin quirked an eyebrow up.

  
When Wonshik laughed the slave looked surprised, for a brief moment, before a small smile slowly touched his own lips.

  
“What if I told you I just did what I figured would work?”

  
“I- I don’t know what’s going on,” Hongbin looked serious now, it made Wonshik’s smile fall, but the slave looked somehow determined, “But thank you. You and those guys.”

  
“Hakyeon and Leo.”

  
“Yes,” Hongbin blinked slowly, his were closed so long that Wonshik thought he had fallen asleep on him, “I know I’ll be back there soon but-”

  
“No, you won’t. You’re not going back there.” He realized he wasn’t thinking right now, that this was all conviction and good intension and he may regret it if this turned out to be lies. He didn’t have the power to prevent Taemin from taking his slave back.

  
Before he could say anymore he was interrupted by the bell of his front door.

  
“I’ll be right back.” Wonshik closed his book and rest it on the stool as he got up. Before he left he rest his hand on Hongbin’s arm. Hakyeon did that a lot, touched to comfort him, this was the first time he found himself imitating that. It was clumsy and awkward as hell, but Hongbin didn’t seem to notice.

  
The bell chimed for the entire walk from the kitchens to the foyer. Wonshik waved away the maid that was coming down the stairs, telling her to sit in with Hongbin instead.

When he opened the door he stopped, there were three Marshals before him, standing tall and intimidating as they usually are in their jet-black uniforms, meddles and buttons of copper on the breast of their jackets. Maybe more so since they were in full drab: leather and metal guard masks framing their faces, shotguns under their arms, they wore heavy leather vests on their chest which were designed to protect them from bullets.

  
“Not sure what you heard, gentlemen, but there’s no war here.” The Marshals didn’t look amused at all, in fact their faces were stony. Wonshik’s eyes shifted behind them, at the carriage that was parked in the street in front of his home. A black and gold one, with large horses made of black steel. As the sole window in the carriage crept up Wonshik caught the face of Taemin in the shadows before the glass shut him out and only reflected his house.

  
_Oh_ , he should have known.

  
“We have a warrant to search your home, Sir.” One of the Marshals told him, “And also your arrest.”

  
“I’m what?” Wonshik didn’t resist when one of the Marshals stepped forward and grasped his arm, maybe a little too roughly. He heard a sound and looked back to see the worried face of one of his maids, “These men would like to search the house.” He tried to speak as calmly as possible.

  
As he was turned around, the cold steel of hand cuffs clicked around his wrists, Wonshik wondered if he should protest this a bit. But he knew better, he was of nobility and he understood these people’s politics. Sometimes it was better to play along in the scheme of things, dignity went a long way, and in the end, it was all a game of chess.

  
The Marshals pulled him inside with them, two of them headed off upstairs. The other pulled him along with him as he went through the dining room, and headed to the atrium. When they got there, it was as it should be, except that Xiumin was absent. Wonshik smirked, his maids moved fast, his invention was most likely already in the hidden room down in the basement.

  
He knew better than to not have five or six action plans when he was working on illegal technology. Right now, though, he only had one worry, and that was whether his maids had thought to also hide Hongbin.

  
“So, are you going to tell me what all of this is about or are you just arresting me and searching my home because it’s Thursday?” the Marshal ignored him, pushing Wonshik, hard, forward, to move on towards the hallway that led to the kitchens.

  
As they neared the door Wonshik seriously considered throwing all his plans of accepting his unjustified arrest like a gentleman and making a run for it just to distract the Marshal. Then the door was swung open and they were met with a kitchen busy with cooking maids. Pots were on the stove being stirred, one maid sat on Wonshik’s stool peeling a basket of potatoes, another was working with a mountain of flour, soon to be dough, on the Hongbin-less preparation table. They all looked up in shock at the Marshal.

  
“Sir?” one asked.

  
Wonshik tried not to laugh as he considered their raises, “Carry on, just being arrested. Hopefully it will be sorted out soon.”

  
By the time Hakyeon had made it downstairs, dressed in a robe and rather dishevelled, Wonshik was already being carted into the back of the Marshals’ olive green carriage.

  
“Wait!” he was prevented from coming too close by one of the Marshals, the man held up his hand to stop him looking stern but respectful. Hakyeon stopped short so as not to collide into the man, but Leo appeared at his side then, his presence supportive and close. The Marshal look up at his slave then immediately took a few steps away from the Duke.

  
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

  
“Why are you arresting him?” Hakyeon tried to go behind the carriage to see Wonshik but Leo held him back, grasping his arm and frowning disapprovingly.

  
“Theft.” The Marshals were already climbing back into their carriage. They didn’t have anything more to say and Hakyeon had the feeling they were now just trying to get away from him.

  
All he could do was helpless watch them drive off, another black carriage followed behind them. Hakyeon went back inside and found the maids all gathered in the foyer looking worried.

  
“What happened?” he asked them and they explained about the warrants and the Marshals looking through the house but finding nothing.

  
“Taemin probably sent them to look for Hongbin. But why arrest Wonshik? He wasn’t even with me.”

  
One of the maids led him down to the basement where they opened a well-hidden door behind a shelf. Inside the other room he found Xiumin, who was busy sweeping the ground with a broom, and a very tired looking Hongbin. The slave was sitting hunched and uncomfortable on an old armchair watching Xiumin apprehensively.

  
“What is that thing?” he asked when he noticed Hakyeon had entered.

  
“Uh- he’s a steam-bot. More importantly, are you okay?”

  
Hongbin nodded. “Where’s- um-” he hesitated.

  
“Wonshik?”

  
“I don’t know his title.”

  
“Pretty sure he wouldn’t mind you calling him Wonshik.” If he ever got out of prison, Hakyeon sighed, this was all his fault. He scrubbed his hands over his face trying to rub the sleep away. He really didn’t understand Cratus politics, so he figured the best thing to do, before he stormed down to the Marshals’ office like he really wanted to do, would be to call someone who was better acquainted with the way things went up here.

  
Joonmyun came surprisingly quickly.

  
“He knows you took Hongbin” Joonmyun concluded simply after Hakyeon had told him the entire story, even about him stealing a slave. His cousin wasn’t amused, at all, but Joonmyun seemed more concerned about dealing with the crisis at hand and leaving Hakyeon for later.

  
“What makes you think that?” Hakyeon immediately felt stupid for asking with the way Joonmyun and Chen glanced at each other, smirks on their faces. They were all in Wonshik’s sitting room. Joonmyun on one of the sofas, sipping the tea he had requested and looking way too calm to Hakyeon who was still all for going with his first plan- marching down to the Marshal’s office and demanding his cousin be released.

  
“Why else would he arrest Wonshik? He certainly can’t arrest _you_ ,” Joonmyun chuckled humourlessly, “Imagine, convicting a Prince of something like that. It would ruin him. Wonshik was the only person he _could_ take down for it, simply because his status is lower than that of the both of you.”

Hakyeon dropped into the nearest seat as it all made sense. It really was all his fault Wonshik was in prison right now.

  
Joonmyun studied him for a moment then patted Hakyeon’s knee, “Don’t worry, it also doesn’t help that those two have had some bad blood between them for a while now. When Wonshik started talking about the ethics of slavery Taemin didn’t want him around much anymore. It’s never been the same between them since.”

  
“He has a point though, Wonshik. You should have seen what they did to Hongbin. It was-”

  
“Barbaric, yes?” Hakyeon wanted to agree but Joonmyun’s excited smile as he said it made him hesitate, “I’m guessing there are lots of wounds? Bruising?”

  
“Well- yes. It only happened last night.”

  
Joonmyun got to his feet, “Take me to see him.”

  
Hakyeon led down to the basement. The maids had placed a bed in the room for Hongbin, Hakyeon had decided that it was best Xiumin and the slave stay in the hidden room in case the Marshals came back. Joonmyun observed the wounds on Hongbin’s back, the ones he could see that weren’t covered by the bandages. He seemed to come to some sort of decision.

  
“Is that the project Wonshik’s been working on? That’s he’s been asking me to come see?” Hakyeon took a moment to understand what he was talking about, he expected Joonmyun to share what he was going to do about Wonshik’s predicament. Not talk about Xiumin.

  
“Yes. You two should definitely have a sit down about it, after we get Wonshik out of prison.”

  
“Yes, Yes. But if he doesn’t keep that hidden well enough it wouldn’t matter what we do, he’d be back in there in no time. As fascinating as that thing is, it’s illegal.” Hakyeon could have sworn that Joonmyun sounded regretful as he said that.

  
Within a few minutes they were in a carriage. Hakyeon wasn’t surprised that he was being lectured with the usual ‘as a member of the royal family’ angle while in the carriage.

  
“You know your actions, more than the average person, could adversely affect the people around you, Hakyeon. You should have thought this through, you acted impulsively.”

  
Hakyeon rolled his eyes, sometimes Joonmyun liked to pretend he was decades older than Hakyeon and not just a year. “What was I supposed to do, the slave was dying, bleeding before me.”

  
“You could have thought it through, there are always more tactical, rational approaches. On Cratus doing what you did would never work. They’re sharks, Taemin and all the other nobles up here. It’s not like on the ground where we have our parents with their old moralities and honourable traditions dictating our every move. This is a bubble full of overgrown entitled brats with too much power, they do what they can get away with. You have to use the rules in your favour.”

  
He might be right about that. If it was one thing Hakyeon may have learnt this week it was that he didn’t exactly fit in up here. Besides seeing his family and friends that he hadn’t for years, and meeting Leo, he might regret the entire trip.

  
“What are we going to do?”

  
“Use the laws against him.”

  
It took Hakyeon a while before he realized that they were heading in a familiar direction.

  
“Isn’t this the way to Taemin’s mansion?” he leaned closer to the window, Leo was sat beside him. Hakyeon looked at his cousin, “Why aren’t we going to the Marshal’s office?”

  
“Tactical, rational approach, Hakyeon.” Joonmyun purred and Hakyeon tried not to roll his eyes. Maybe he should have called Jaehwan instead.

  
The sight of the Marquis’ oversized mansion made Hakyeon a little sick to his stomach due to the memories that were still fresh in his mind. Mostly he was just reminded of being lost in the thing, of listening to Hongbin be beaten, of all the blood in that place.

  
A familiar black and gold carriage was parked in the square, the Marquis seemed to have just gotten out of it. When he saw them approaching he muttered something to one of his servants and then plastered a huge, welcoming smile on his face.

  
Jonnmyun rolled the window down as the carriage stopped.

  
“Your Highnesses. Back again for another fight night? I hope this time you won’t take your leave so- abruptly.”

  
Hakyeon was about to speak, he wanted to demand that Taemin leave Wonshik out of it, but he felt Joonmyun’s hand on his knee, telling him to be patient. Chen gave him the slightest of nods.

  
Joonmyun smiled apologetically, “Hakyeon and I must express regret for our sudden departure, but we’re both busy people, we can’t always laze about our homes, burning through our parents well earned wealth, wasting our bodies away on drink and pleasure slaves. Some of us have actual work to do, you know how it is.”

  
Taemin’s smile lost some of its shine, it looked like it was being held up by pins.

  
“But, we’re actually here to sort out a misunderstanding. You see, we have in our possession one of your slaves. The one you illegally whipped half to death and left to die.”

  
Taemin chuckled, “Certainly could not be mine. I do not whip my slaves beyond what any of them deserve, and that is well within the humane limits.”

  
“Strangely, that’s not what my cousin, Prince Hakyeon, witnessed.” Jonnmyun said almost like he was musing it to himself. He shrugged, “It doesn’t matter I guess. We were on our way to the Marshal’s anyway, I’m sure we could clear all of this up with their help.”

  
Joonmyun gave the order and the horses began to move, he nodded at Taemin as the carriage window rolled back up. Hakyeon leaned over to the tainted window to watch the Marquis. He expected the man to shout after them, tell them to stop. But his face was perfectly unreadable, hard and cold.

  
“What do we do now?” He asked Joonmyun as they were making their way back down the long stretch of road that led up to the Marquis’ mansion.

  
“Go back to Wonshik’s, wait.”

  
“You’re awfully confident.”

  
“We deal with things like this every day.” Chen said, “It’s always a power struggle.”

  
Hakyeon sighed, he sat back against the soft, cushioned chair and rested his hand on Leo’s like he was attempting to absorb his slave’s consistently calm aurar. He found himself relaxing for the first time since Wonshik was taken, though still not completely. He wouldn’t until Wonshik was freed.

  
His eyes moved to the scenery of the darkening sky, it looked unnaturally red, tumultuous, thanks to the pollution in the air, “I don’t think this place is for me,” Hakyeon said out loud just as he thought it, “I love and miss all of you, but right now I just want to go home.”

  
“Is Alice sick of Wonderland already?” Chen asked, a gentle and understanding smile on his lips which Hakyeon returned.

  
“Oh, yes.”

 

 

 

It didn’t take long for Wonshik to be released. The message came in the pipeline within a few minutes of them being back. It was a document signed by what seemed to be the Marquis’ lawyer stating that there had been a mistake and Wonshik had been cleared and freed.

  
“There’s no mention of Hongbin,” Hakyeon told Joonmyun as he read the quickly written letter for the third time, “Does he not want him back?”

  
Not that Hakyeon plans of giving Hongbin back.

  
“It wasn’t about Hongbin. As harsh as it may sound, he threw the slave away, you just happened to pick him up and the Marquis saw an opportunity to make it benefit him.”

  
When Wonshik arrived home, some minutes later, dropped at the door by the carriage Joonmyun had sent, he looked surprisingly unaffected by the events of the day.

  
“What did you expect? I was only there for a few hours, it wasn’t ten years of hard labour.” He grumbled as he was hugged tightly by Hakyeon, he’d barely gotten two feet into the foyer before he was tackled.

  
When he saw Joonmyun was there too Wonshik looked surprised, “So I had to be arrested before you finally stepped foot in my house?”

  
“Well at least I’m here when it counts.” Joonmyun patted Wonshik on his back, in a spot that wasn’t taken up by Hakyeon, “I’m happy that you’re safe, and we have to talk about Xiumin and that ban on humanoid machines, but I have a day of work to catch up on. Keep an eye on Hakyeon, while I’m away. And if he disappears on you in the dead of night prepare the lawyers.” Joonmyun was out the door with Chen, chuckling behind him, before Hakyeon could reply to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting in months, for making Taemin the bad guy (mostly apologizing to my-hugetaeminfan-self), and the abrupt end of chap. Next chap should be the last. Thank you for reading, giving kudos and commenting.


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